Yankee cheese-box
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The USS Monitor, USS Montauk and similar American Civil War-era ironclad ships.
Register: dated, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
The old description of her departed predecessor, " a Yankee cheese-box on a raft," will give one a better idea of her external appearance than any chapter which could be written.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “Yankee cheese-box” mean?
The USS Monitor, USS Montauk and similar American Civil War-era ironclad ships.
Is “Yankee cheese-box” formal or informal?
Yankee cheese-box is generally dated, slang.