Dutchman's log

noun

Any early device for measuring the speed of a moving ship, where a sailor threw a floating object overboard and used a sandglass to measure the time it took to pass between two points on deck.

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Meanings

noun
  1. historicalnauticalAny early device for measuring the speed of a moving ship, where a sailor threw a floating object overboard and used a sandglass to measure the time it took to pass between two points on deck.
Cite this entry
APA

Dutchman's log. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dutchman's%20log

MLA

“Dutchman's log.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dutchman's%20log. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Dutchman's log,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dutchman's%20log.

Source: Dutchman's log on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.