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
Rooms vary from garden bungalows to beach houses with a coveted ocean view.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Created in 1946 by the P.F. McKenney family, which still owns and operates the attraction, Theater of the Sea pumps in 12 million gallons of ocean water a day to maintain the three-acre natural salt-water lagoons.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
Because America is not just a patch of land between two oceans.
—CBS News, 5 Mar. 2025
Tranquil and Reassuring Colors Blues surround us in the day and night skies, in lakes and oceans.
—Rima Suqi, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2025
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Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Created in 1946 by the P.F. McKenney family, which still owns and operates the attraction, Theater of the Sea pumps in 12 million gallons of ocean water a day to maintain the three-acre natural salt-water lagoons.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
Because America is not just a patch of land between two oceans.
—CBS News, 5 Mar. 2025
Tranquil and Reassuring Colors Blues surround us in the day and night skies, in lakes and oceans.
—Rima Suqi, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 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 12 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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