1. A fast sailing vessel used in the Indian Ocean, typically with two or three masts, formerly employed for carrying dispatches and passengers.
Usage: nautical; historical; chiefly British

Examples

• The pattamar was prized by colonial administrators for its speed in delivering urgent messages across the Indian Ocean.
• Merchants relied on pattamars to transport valuable goods quickly between ports.
• The captain of the pattamar navigated skillfully through the monsoon season.
• Historical records describe pattamars as among the fastest sailing vessels of their era.
• The pattamar's design made it ideal for rapid communication between distant trading posts.