View synonyms for Davy Jones's locker

Davy Jones's locker

[ john-ziz, johnz ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the ocean's bottom, especially when regarded as the grave of all who perish at sea.

Davy Jones's Locker

Sailors' slang for the bottom of the ocean. Someone drowned at sea may be said to have “gone down to Davy Jones's Locker.”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Davy Jones's locker¹

First recorded in 1795–1805

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Idioms and Phrases

Also, Davy's locker . The bottom of the sea, especially the grave of those who die at sea. For example, Caught out at sea during the hurricane, they thought they were heading for Davy Jones's locker . This term, first recorded in 1726, alludes to Davy Jones , a name given to the evil spirit of the sea. The ultimate origin of both Davy and Jones is disputed. A logical theory is that Jones referred to the biblical Jonah who was swallowed by a whale, and Davy was a corruption of a West Indian word for “devil.”

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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