1. Plural of carrack; large, heavily built merchant ships used in the 15th and 16th centuries, especially by Portuguese and Spanish traders.
Usage: historical; nautical

Examples

• Portuguese carracks dominated trade routes to India and the Far East during the Age of Exploration.
• The carracks were known for their high castles at the bow and stern, which made them distinctive on the ocean.
• Carracks carried valuable spices, silks, and other goods across vast distances.
• The design of carracks influenced later European ship construction for centuries.
• Spanish carracks were often targets for pirates and privateers in the Atlantic.