"Dutchman's breeches" meaning in English

See Dutchman's breeches in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Etymology: In the case of the plants, named because their flower petals resemble baggy pants worn by Dutch settlers to North America (compare slops, knickerbockers). Head templates: {{en-noun|p}} Dutchman's breeches pl (plural only)
  1. A plant of the species Dicentra cucullaria, native to eastern North America and the Columbia River basin. Tags: plural, plural-only Categories (lifeform): Poppies Synonyms: boys and girls, Indian boys and girls Translations (Dicentra cucullaria): dicentre à capuchon [masculine] (French), Kapuzen-Herzblume [feminine] (German), sjömanshjärta [neuter] (Swedish), clôs pen-glin [masculine] (Welsh)
    Sense id: en-Dutchman's_breeches-en-noun-i247baJC Disambiguation of Poppies: 60 16 21 3 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English pluralia tantum, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Welsh translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 43 18 34 5 Disambiguation of English pluralia tantum: 42 13 39 6 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 54 23 20 3 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 45 18 32 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 50 16 31 2 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 57 16 21 6 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 57 17 23 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 45 13 31 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Welsh translations: 58 16 22 4 Disambiguation of 'Dicentra cucullaria': 58 33 8 2
  2. A plant of the species Lamprocapnos spectabilis, formerly Dicentra spectabilis, similar to D. cucullaria, but red or pink. Tags: plural, plural-only
    Sense id: en-Dutchman's_breeches-en-noun-xMrfLi8T Categories (other): English pluralia tantum Disambiguation of English pluralia tantum: 42 13 39 6
  3. (colloquial) Something proverbially blue, used in phrases relating to a clear blue sky, as in "enough blue sky to make [or patch] a Dutchman's breeches", etc. Tags: colloquial, plural, plural-only Synonyms: Dutchman's trousers
    Sense id: en-Dutchman's_breeches-en-noun-KLF6DDyA Categories (other): English pluralia tantum Disambiguation of English pluralia tantum: 42 13 39 6
  4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see Dutchman, -'s, breeches. Tags: plural, plural-only
    Sense id: en-Dutchman's_breeches-en-noun-PPb8s5Mv
{
  "etymology_text": "In the case of the plants, named because their flower petals resemble baggy pants worn by Dutch settlers to North America (compare slops, knickerbockers).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "p"
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      "expansion": "Dutchman's breeches pl (plural only)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "43 18 34 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
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          "_dis": "42 13 39 6",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
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          "_dis": "54 23 20 3",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "45 18 32 6",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "50 16 31 2",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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          "_dis": "57 16 21 6",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "57 17 23 4",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "45 13 31 11",
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          "_dis": "58 16 22 4",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "60 16 21 3",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Poppies",
          "orig": "en:Poppies",
          "parents": [
            "Ranunculales order plants",
            "Plants",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A plant of the species Dicentra cucullaria, native to eastern North America and the Columbia River basin."
      ],
      "id": "en-Dutchman's_breeches-en-noun-i247baJC",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "boys and girls"
        },
        {
          "word": "Indian boys and girls"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "58 33 8 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Dicentra cucullaria",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "dicentre à capuchon"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "58 33 8 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "Dicentra cucullaria",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Kapuzen-Herzblume"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "58 33 8 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "Dicentra cucullaria",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "sjömanshjärta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "58 33 8 2",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "Dicentra cucullaria",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "clôs pen-glin"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "42 13 39 6",
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          "name": "English pluralia tantum",
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            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A plant of the species Lamprocapnos spectabilis, formerly Dicentra spectabilis, similar to D. cucullaria, but red or pink."
      ],
      "id": "en-Dutchman's_breeches-en-noun-xMrfLi8T",
      "links": [
        [
          "Lamprocapnos spectabilis",
          "Lamprocapnos spectabilis#Translingual"
        ],
        [
          "Dicentra spectabilis",
          "Dicentra spectabilis#Translingual"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "42 13 39 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English pluralia tantum",
          "parents": [
            "Pluralia tantum",
            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Something proverbially blue, used in phrases relating to a clear blue sky, as in \"enough blue sky to make [or patch] a Dutchman's breeches\", etc."
      ],
      "id": "en-Dutchman's_breeches-en-noun-KLF6DDyA",
      "links": [
        [
          "blue",
          "blue"
        ],
        [
          "sky",
          "sky"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) Something proverbially blue, used in phrases relating to a clear blue sky, as in \"enough blue sky to make [or patch] a Dutchman's breeches\", etc."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "Dutchman's trousers"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1796, Samuel Bishop, “Epigram II. Plus, Minus.”, in The Poetical Works of the Rev. Samuel Bishop, A.M., volume 2, →OCLC, page 163:",
          "text": "A Dutchman's breeches, in full taste, / Two contrasted extremes divide; / Buttons, like platters, at the waist, / And studs, like peas, along the side.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1915, Harold Donaldson Eberlein, The Architecture of Colonial America (Library of American civilization), →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 14:",
          "text": "We have all heard it said of the Dutchman's breeches that they could be made to contain whatever objects could be forced through the pocket apertures, and the number of things that the Dutchman could stow away in the baggy recesses of his nether garments has always been a source of wonder to the foreigner.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1950 October, MotorBoating, →ISSN, page 21:",
          "text": "Up went the jib and then the mainsail. Being home-made, they hung baggy as a Dutchman's breeches, but when I cast off the mooring lines the breeze blew out the wrinkles and everything was fine.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see Dutchman, -'s, breeches."
      ],
      "id": "en-Dutchman's_breeches-en-noun-PPb8s5Mv",
      "links": [
        [
          "Dutchman",
          "Dutchman#English"
        ],
        [
          "-'s",
          "-'s#English"
        ],
        [
          "breeches",
          "breeches#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "Dutchman's breeches"
}
{
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    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English pluralia tantum",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Welsh translations",
    "en:Poppies"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "In the case of the plants, named because their flower petals resemble baggy pants worn by Dutch settlers to North America (compare slops, knickerbockers).",
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "p"
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      "expansion": "Dutchman's breeches pl (plural only)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A plant of the species Dicentra cucullaria, native to eastern North America and the Columbia River basin."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "boys and girls"
        },
        {
          "word": "Indian boys and girls"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A plant of the species Lamprocapnos spectabilis, formerly Dicentra spectabilis, similar to D. cucullaria, but red or pink."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Lamprocapnos spectabilis",
          "Lamprocapnos spectabilis#Translingual"
        ],
        [
          "Dicentra spectabilis",
          "Dicentra spectabilis#Translingual"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Something proverbially blue, used in phrases relating to a clear blue sky, as in \"enough blue sky to make [or patch] a Dutchman's breeches\", etc."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "blue",
          "blue"
        ],
        [
          "sky",
          "sky"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) Something proverbially blue, used in phrases relating to a clear blue sky, as in \"enough blue sky to make [or patch] a Dutchman's breeches\", etc."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "Dutchman's trousers"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
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      "categories": [
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      ],
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        {
          "ref": "1796, Samuel Bishop, “Epigram II. Plus, Minus.”, in The Poetical Works of the Rev. Samuel Bishop, A.M., volume 2, →OCLC, page 163:",
          "text": "A Dutchman's breeches, in full taste, / Two contrasted extremes divide; / Buttons, like platters, at the waist, / And studs, like peas, along the side.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1915, Harold Donaldson Eberlein, The Architecture of Colonial America (Library of American civilization), →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 14:",
          "text": "We have all heard it said of the Dutchman's breeches that they could be made to contain whatever objects could be forced through the pocket apertures, and the number of things that the Dutchman could stow away in the baggy recesses of his nether garments has always been a source of wonder to the foreigner.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1950 October, MotorBoating, →ISSN, page 21:",
          "text": "Up went the jib and then the mainsail. Being home-made, they hung baggy as a Dutchman's breeches, but when I cast off the mooring lines the breeze blew out the wrinkles and everything was fine.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see Dutchman, -'s, breeches."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Dutchman",
          "Dutchman#English"
        ],
        [
          "-'s",
          "-'s#English"
        ],
        [
          "breeches",
          "breeches#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Dicentra cucullaria",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "dicentre à capuchon"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "Dicentra cucullaria",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Kapuzen-Herzblume"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "Dicentra cucullaria",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "sjömanshjärta"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "Dicentra cucullaria",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "clôs pen-glin"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Dutchman's breeches"
}

Download raw JSONL data for Dutchman's breeches meaning in English (3.7kB)

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  "title": "Dutchman's breeches",
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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-04-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-04-03 using wiktextract (51d164f and fb63907). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.