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ocean

n.
US //ˈoʊʃən// UK //ˈəʊʃən// ocean
  1. 1 large body of water (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    one of the five huge areas of salt water on Earth, like the Atlantic or Pacific.

    one of the major bodies of salt water into which the global hydrosphere is divided.

    Example

    The ship spent two weeks crossing the Atlantic Ocean during the summer.

    Example

    Marine biologists are concerned that rising temperatures in the Southern Ocean could disrupt the migratory patterns of several whale species.
  2. 2 a vast amount (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a very large amount or a huge space of something.

    an immense expanse or a vast quantity of something, often used figuratively.

    Example

    Looking out from the mountain top, he saw an ocean of green trees.

    Example

    The candidate faced an ocean of criticism following the publication of the controversial report on urban planning.
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  1. 3 mythology (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Religion

    in ancient Greek stories, the great river that people believed flowed around the world.

    the personification of the world-river in Greek mythology, often referred to as Oceanus.

    Example

    Ancient maps often showed Ocean as a river circling the entire earth.

    Example

    In Homeric epic, Ocean is depicted not as a sea, but as the generative source of all gods and rivers.
    • oceanus
Origin

From Middle English *ocean, occean, occian, occyan, from Old French occean (later reborrowed or reinforced by Middle French ocean), from Latin Ōceanus, originally from Ancient Greek Ὠκεανός (Ōkeanós, “Oceanus”, a water deity). Displaced native Old English gārseċġ. Also commonly referred to as the ocean sea, the sea of ocean (compare Latin mare ōceanum; Old French mer oceane, occeanne mer). Compare Saterland Frisian Oceoan (“ocean”), West Frisian oseaan (“ocean”), Dutch oceaan (“ocean”), German Low German Ozeaan (“ocean”), German Ozean (“ocean”), Danish ocean (“ocean”), Swedish ocean (“ocean”), French océan (“ocean”), Italian oceano (“ocean”). Doublet of Oceanus/Okeanos.

Word family
Idioms3 entries

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