Flying Dutchman
Americannoun
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a legendary Dutch ghost ship supposed to be seen at sea, especially near the Cape of Good Hope.
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the captain of this ship, supposed to have been condemned to sail the sea, beating against the wind, until the Day of Judgment.
noun
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legend
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a phantom ship sighted in bad weather, esp off the Cape of Good Hope
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the captain of this ship
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a type of dinghy, designed to be crewed by two people
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead, The Times confirmed the price change at an In-N-Out in Glendale, where two beef patties and two slices of cheese ran for $5.50 — the cost of a Flying Dutchman.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025
“I just want to eat my Flying Dutchman in peace,” her friend said, referring to an off-menu item at the burger chain.
From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2022
His flag also features the England three lions badge and the names of two pubs in Lowestoft - The Flying Dutchman and The Blues Bar.
From BBC • Dec. 6, 2022
By December, the Weatherbird II had become a modern Flying Dutchman, homeless until the ship’s crew promised to suspend operations and docked in Madeira.
From Slate • Nov. 16, 2016
For a while I worried that Viking 1 had been condemned, like the legendary Flying Dutchman, to wander the skies of Mars forever, never to find safe haven.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
