Dutchman
Americannoun
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Dutchmen
plural
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a native or inhabitant of the Netherlands.
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(lowercase) a piece or wedge inserted to hide the fault in a badly made joint, to stop an opening, etc.
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Theater. a narrow strip of canvas to conceal the join between two flats.
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Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used to refer to a German.
noun
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a native, citizen, or inhabitant of the Netherlands
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a piece of wood, metal, etc, used to repair or patch faulty workmanship
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derogatory an Afrikaner
Sensitive Note
As used to refer to a German, the term Dutchman was originally standard English. But around the time of World War I, it became a slang term of contempt for the enemy. Its use nowadays is still sometimes perceived as insulting.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Dutchman
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at Dutch, man
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.
See Examples For:
As a Dutchman, William sought to weaponize his new kingdom against his longtime enemy, Louis XIV of France.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Liverpool won the Premier League title in 2024/25 under Arne Slot but the Dutchman was sacked in May after a turbulent season.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
Verstappen's pace came despite Red Bull reverting to a standard rear wing while they refine the the 'flip-flop' or 'somersault' design that caused high-speed crashes for the Dutchman in the past two races.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The Dutchman inhabited the now-familiar role of empathetic counselor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
“You and the Dutchman will tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
The Dutchmen were led by Mike Manley, who posted 28 points and four assists.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2022
He and three other young volunteers — a Brit and two Dutchmen — were headed to the Ukrainian capital the next day to try to hook up with a military reserve unit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2022
“In Amsterdam, housing is dense, and the openness of the beach is very healing,” said Posthumus, who owns two bars in the city, Flying Dutchmen Cocktails and Dutch Courage.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 6, 2022
A keen university rower, the 22-year-old Henri Peteri had heard of fellow Dutchmen trying to escape to the UK by fishing boat.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2021
How many Dutchmen would go along with them?
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
