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

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 After Godzilla is defeated, it’s revealed that a piece of the monster’s flesh is regenerating in the bottom of the ocean. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024 Extremely warm ocean temperatures in the Caribbean and Atlantic could result in storms that intensify quickly. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024 More than 400 million tons of plastic waste are produced globally every year, with less than 10% being recycled, according to the UN Environment Programme, choking landfills and despoiling oceans. Nate Raymond, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 The hillside suites—long a guest favorite for their ocean views—still have their private pools as well. Ann Abel, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ocean 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ocean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ocean was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ocean

Cite this Entry

“Ocean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ocean. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ocean

noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on ocean

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