A legendary ship that appears as a phantom, most famously the Flying Dutchman, which sailors claimed to see at sea as an omen of bad luck.
Combination of 'ghost' (Old English 'gāst') and 'ship' (Old English 'scip'). The term gained currency in maritime folklore from the 16th century onward, particularly in European seafaring communities.
The most famous ghostship, the Flying Dutchman, supposedly sails the Cape of Good Hope forever because its captain cursed God during a terrible storm—it became a legend sailors told to explain weird lights and phenomena at sea that likely had ordinary explanations.
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