/ˈəʊ.ʃən/, /ˈoʊ.ʃən/
OriginFrom 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.
- countableOne of the large bodies of water separating the continents.
- uncountableWater belonging to an ocean.
“The island is surrounded by ocean”
- countable, figuratively, uncountableAn immense expanse; any vast space or quantity without apparent limits.
“the boundless ocean of eternity”
“an ocean of difference”
“On the present occasion, Traddles was so hemmed in by the pagoda and the guitar-case, and Dora’s flower-painting, and my writing-table, that I had serious doubts of the possibility of his using his kn”
- countable, uncountableA blue colour, like that of the ocean (also called ocean blue).
- A female given name from English, of modern usage.
“'Ocean still isn't sleeping through the night.' I don't blame her. She's probably traumatised by her ridiculous name.”
- A township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, which originally extended to the ocean.
- A township in Ocean County, New Jersey.
- The deity Oceanus.
“But he must ever watch the northern Bear,
Who from her frozen height with jealous eye
Confronts the Dog and the Hunter in the south,
And is alone not dipt in Ocean's stream.”
Formsoceans(plural)