noun
foreign ship (historical); Dutch ship (early use)
Archaic colloquial term from the Edo period. Originally referred to Dutch ships (literally 'red-hair ships'), later extended to all Western foreign vessels. Not used in modern Japanese except in historical contexts.
江戸時代、紅毛船は長崎に来航した。
In the Edo period, Dutch ships (紅毛船) called at Nagasaki.
「紅毛船」という言葉は、もともとオランダ船を指したが、後に西洋の船全般を指すようになった。
The word 紅毛船 originally referred to Dutch ships, but later came to mean Western ships in general.