Skip to main content
mid-ocean

mid-ocean

4.4
The middle of an ocean far from any land
  • noun
  • /ˌmɪdˈoʊʃən/
translation icon : alta mar
  • The sailors spent weeks in the mid-ocean without seeing any land.

Examples

  • A powerful storm developed while the ship was in the mid-ocean.

  • Scientists study marine life found only in the mid-ocean regions.

  • The ship was stranded in the mid-ocean for days.

  • In the mid-ocean, the waters were calm and clear.

  • The sailors spent weeks in the mid-ocean without seeing any land.

  • In the mid-ocean, the waters were calm and clear.

  • A powerful storm developed while the ship was in the mid-ocean.

Synonyms

high sea
vsmid-ocean
  • Specialized
14 4.6

An area of the sea outside any country's waters

is the central ocean area defined by distance from land rather than legal limits
main
vsmid-ocean
  • Archaic
9 7.9

The open sea far from land

is the central ocean area far from any land

How Far

mid-ocean
4.4
offshore
141 3.7
nearshore
1 3.5
inshore
1 4.2

Surface Forms

mid-ocean singular
mid-oceans plural

Morphology

mid-ocean = ocean (transparent) = mid + ocean

The noun is a direct compound of 'mid' and 'ocean' meaning the middle part of an ocean; the composition is literal and clear. [Postprocessing: moved 'mid' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

The word mid-ocean names the middle part of the sea, far from any land. It comes from mid- 'middle' and ocean 'sea', which is why mid-ocean means the middle of the sea.