# ships that pass in the night

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Two or more people who encounter one another in a transitory, incidental manner and whose relationship is without lasting significance; two or more people who almost encounter one another, but do not do so.
2. Things which have no significant connection or commonality.

## Etymology
From a poetic metaphor by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ships-that-pass-in-the-night