ENGLISH
REFERENCE

marine

n.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //mɝˈin// UK //məɹˈiːn// ma·rine Archaic

n. related to the ocean or the animals and plants that live there. You use this to describe things like sea life, ships, or underwater environments.

n. relating to or found in the sea; specifically concerning the flora, fauna, or physical environment of saltwater ecosystems. Often used in scientific or environmental contexts to distinguish saltwater from freshwater systems.


SIMPLE

The museum has a large collection of marine life.

CONTEXTUAL

Scientists are studying how rising temperatures affect marine ecosystems and the survival of coral reefs.

COMPLEX

The government established a protected marine reserve to prevent commercial fishing from depleting the local biodiversity and damaging the fragile seabed.

Synonyms
Origin

Recorded since c.1420 as Middle English marin, borrowed from Middle French marin, from Old French, from Latin marinus (“of the sea”), itself from mare (“sea”), from Proto-Indo-European móri (“body of water, lake”) (cognate with Old English mere (“sea, lake, pool, pond”), Dutch meer, German Meer, all from Proto-Germanic mari). The modern pronunciation is presumably due to the influence of modern French marine, feminine singular of marin.

Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies. When used as a noun, it refers to a member of a military force trained for sea-to-land operations.

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