Meanings
nounbutter-box (plural butter-boxes)
plural butter-boxes
- UKarchaicderogatoryslangA Dutch person; used in the era of the Anglo-Dutch Wars.
Origin
The idiom may have derived from the flag of Holland, which at the time had an orange stripe on top.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
butter-box. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butter-box
MLA
“butter-box.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butter-box. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “butter-box,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butter-box.
Source: butter-box on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.