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
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
James JoyceHe would have oceans of time for his ride.—P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. WodehouseJutting from an ocean of prairie, they [the Sangre de Cristo mountains] run north-south like an iguana spine …—Skiing
SkiingExamples of ocean in a Sentence
We've sailed across hundreds of miles of ocean.
the Pacific and Indian oceans
Recent Examples on the Web
Here is a sampling of where our readers find spiritual comfort, from poetry to gardening to gazing out into the ocean.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025
The two were then hit by a wave and pulled into the ocean by the tide, according to a transcript provided to ABC News from two Dominican Republic sources.
—Aicha El Hammar Castano, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2025
The installation features 11 projects blending art and science into interactive experiences focused on scientific ocean exploration.
—La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Sometimes these environmental disintegrations can be subtle, like the slow decline of an endangered keystone species or the gradual weakening of ocean currents.
—Darren Orf, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ocean
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Malaka Gharib, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025
The two were then hit by a wave and pulled into the ocean by the tide, according to a transcript provided to ABC News from two Dominican Republic sources.
—Aicha El Hammar Castano, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2025
The installation features 11 projects blending art and science into interactive experiences focused on scientific ocean exploration.
—La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Sometimes these environmental disintegrations can be subtle, like the slow decline of an endangered keystone species or the gradual weakening of ocean currents.
—Darren Orf, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ocean
Cite this Entry
“Ocean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ocean. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ocean
noun1
: 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
adjective
ˌō-shē-ˈan-ik
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