Flying Dutchman
Americannoun
-
a legendary Dutch ghost ship supposed to be seen at sea, especially near the Cape of Good Hope.
-
the captain of this ship, supposed to have been condemned to sail the sea, beating against the wind, until the Day of Judgment.
noun
-
legend
-
a phantom ship sighted in bad weather, esp off the Cape of Good Hope
-
the captain of this ship
-
-
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
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
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.
