ocean

noun

ˈō-shən 

plural oceans

often attributive

1

a

: the whole body of salt water that covers nearly three fourths of the surface of the earth

The ocean covers most of our planet, regulates our weather and climate, absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide, provides most of our oxygen, and feeds much of the human population.

—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

b

: any of the large bodies of water into which the great ocean is divided

the oceans of the world

2

: a very large or unlimited quantity or expanse

Could have made oceans of money.

—James Joyce

He would have oceans of time for his ride.

—P. G. Wodehouse

Jutting from an ocean of prairie, they [the Sangre de Cristo mountains] run north-south like an iguana spine …

—Skiing

Synonyms

• blue
• brine
• deep
• Neptune
• sea
• seven seas

Examples of ocean in a Sentence

We've sailed across hundreds of miles of ocean.

the Pacific and Indian oceans

Recent Examples on the Web

To commemorate the 140-year anniversary of the sinking of the SS Tasman, three divers jumped off a boat and into the waves, then made their way down to the ocean floor. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024

Dramatic helicopter footage released by the sheriff’s office showed the man clinging onto the cliff while dangling over the rising ocean tide. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

After a massive chunk of roadway fell into the ocean over the weekend in Carmel-by-the-Sea, authorities shut down a stretch of the scenic highway beginning just above Rocky Creek Bridge, about 40 miles north of an ongoing closure that begins near Limekiln State Park. —Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Indigenous Australians have always had their own names for the creatures that live on their land and in their oceans. —Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

Raising one arm up to the sky, Bailey — who was wearing Gymshark gear and a helmet — was seen posing in front of the blue ocean in a grassy area. —Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024

Global ocean temperatures have been at record highs for the past year. —Christopher Flavelle Ian C. Bates, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024

Up on the sky deck are multiple sun-lounging pads, a forward bar with 360-degree views of the ocean, and a long dining table for 10 made to resemble a vintage sailing yacht’s teak grating. —Howard Walker, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024

These magical encounters happen in an under-the-radar SoCal wildlife hot spot: the Santa Barbara Channel, an expanse of ocean sandwiched between the Santa Barbara County coastline and Channel Islands National Park. —Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English occean "the sea flowing around the land mass of the known world," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin Ōceanus, borrowed from Greek Ōkeanós, probably of pre-Greek substratal origin

Note: Preserved variants of Greek Ōkeanós, as Ōgḗn, Ōgenós, Ōgēnós, may indicate that the velar stop, whatever its original voicing, was palatalized (hence *ūkʸān-?)—strongly suggesting non-Indo-European origin. Old attempts to find an Indo-European origin (as a comparison with Sanskrit ā-śayāna- "lying on") are unconvincing.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ocean

• a drop in the ocean
• inter-ocean
• mid-ocean ridge
• ocean perch
• ocean sunfish
• open ocean

Kids Definition

ocean

noun

ˈō-shən 

1

: the whole body of salt water that covers nearly three fourths of the surface of the earth

2

: one of the large bodies of water into which the ocean is divided

oceanic

ˌō-shē-ˈan-ik

adjective