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Glite Dictionary
sea puss

sea puss

9.9
A strong current that pulls swimmers away from the shore after waves break
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : corriente de mar
  • Swimmers are advised to avoid the sea puss near the jetty, as it can pull you out to deeper water.

Examples

  • Lifeguards posted warnings about a dangerous sea puss forming along the eastern shore.

  • The sea puss pulled me away from the shore.

  • After the giant waves crashed, a strong sea puss developed, making it risky for surfers to return to the beach.

  • I felt the sea pusses tugging at my feet.

  • After the giant waves crashed, a strong sea puss developed, making it risky for surfers to return to the beach.

  • Lifeguards posted warnings about a dangerous sea puss forming along the eastern shore.

  • Swimmers are advised to avoid the sea puss near the jetty, as it can pull you out to deeper water.

Synonyms

undertow
vssea puss
4 7.4

A strong water current under the surface that pulls you out to sea

is the undercurrent formed at the shore that sometimes causes strong outward pull
sea-poose
vssea puss
  • Archaic
9.9

A strong flow of water that pulls away from the shore after waves break

has identical meaning but differs only in form or spelling
sea-puss
vssea puss
  • Archaic
9.9

A strong current that pulls swimmers away from a beach after waves break

is the same current but often described as less consistently strong
sea purse
vssea puss
  • UK
9.8

A strong flow that pulls swimmers away from the shore after waves break

focuses more on occasional strength rather than constant force
sea-purse
vssea puss
  • Archaic
9.9

A strong current that pulls water and swimmers away from the shore after waves break

emphasizes movement away from the beach rather than only moving water

Surface Forms

sea puss singular
sea pusses plural

Morphology

sea + puss

Although 'sea' is transparent, the constituent 'puss' is lexically unclear or dialectal and does not conventionally mean 'current' or 'undertow', so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to infer the specialised meaning of a seaward undercurrent. The phrase is jargon/regionally specific and the overall sense is idiomatic and unpredictable from the parts, so it is opaque to learners.

Etymology

Sea puss may come from the image of the sea forming a sudden puss like a 'mouth' that opens and pulls water seaward after waves break. That's why sea puss means a strong current that can pull you away from the beach.