Dutchman
Americannoun
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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:
The Dutchman inhabited the now-familiar role of empathetic counselor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Isack Hadjar took fifth, beating team-Max Verstappen for only the second time all year when both finished qualifying, the Dutchman split from the Frenchman by McLaren's Lando Norris.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Kickboxing legend Verhoeven, in just his second professional boxing fight, troubled 39-year-old Usyk for long spells, but a late surge by the Ukrainian great sent the Dutchman to the canvas.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
The Reds sacked Slot on Saturday, just a year after the Dutchman guided them to the Premier League title.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
He was Cain, Ulysses, the Flying Dutchman; he was Lot in Sodom, Deirdre of the Sorrows, Sweeney in the nightingales among trees.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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
Depero was an innovator on par with the Soviets, Poles and Dutchmen in this collection.
From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2020
Strangely enough, it was not the Germans or the Japanese that people had most trouble forgiving; it was their fellow Dutchmen who had sided with the enemy.
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.
