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:
The Orange Order is an pro-British organisation that takes its name from William of Orange, the Protestant Dutchman who seized the English, Scottish and Ireland throne from Catholic King James II in 1689.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
That put Verstappen on to Russell's tail for another restart but the Briton handled the situation coolly, accelerating early and catching the Dutchman somewhat unawares.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
In Silverstone Verstappen had a down-on-power engine and in Australia the Dutchman crashed at the start of qualifying.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The Dutchman arrived in Italy with a proven goalscoring pedigree and the data suggests Roma have found a role that maximises his attacking instincts.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The Oberkapo of the Fifty-second Cable Kommando was a Dutchman: a giant of a man, well over six feet.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
Italians, Dutchmen, Belgians, and a smattering of others combined to produce one of the most thrilling one-day races in recent memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
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
Bennett, who led the Dutchmen to their only national championship in 2014, resigned Friday.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 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
Old London Bridge was soon passed, and old Billingsgate Market with its oyster-boats and Dutchmen, and the White Tower and Traitor’s Gate, and we were in among the tiers of shipping.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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