ocean

Etymology

From Middle English *ocean, occean, occian, occyan, from Old French occean (later reborrowed or reinforced by Middle French ocean), from Latin Oceanus, originally from Ancient Greek Ὠκεανός (Ōkeanós, “Oceanus”, a water deity).

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”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈəʊ.ʃən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈoʊ.ʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊʃən
• Hyphenation: o‧cean

Noun

ocean (countable and uncountable, plural oceans)

1. (countable) One of the large bodies of water separating the continents.
2. (uncountable) Water belonging to an ocean.

   The island is surrounded by ocean

3. (figuratively) An immense expanse; any vast space or quantity without apparent limits.

   the boundless ocean of eternity

   an ocean of affairs

See also

• sea

References

• Ocean on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• canoe

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔˈt͡sɛ.an/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

ocean m inan

1. ocean

Alternative forms

• okèān (Serbia, Bosnia)

Etymology

From Latin Oceanus, from Ancient Greek Ὠκεανός (Ōkeanós, “Oceanus”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /otsěaːn/
• Hyphenation: o‧ce‧an

Noun

ocèān m (Cyrillic spelling оцѐа̄н)

1. (Croatia) ocean