Gulf Stream
Americannoun
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a warm ocean current flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico, along the eastern coast of the United States, to an area off the southeastern coast of Newfoundland, where it becomes the western terminus of the North Atlantic Current.
noun
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a relatively warm ocean current flowing northeastwards off the Atlantic coast of the US from the Gulf of Mexico
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another name for North Atlantic Drift
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Gulf Stream shifted hundreds of miles north, sending much warmer water towards eastern Canada.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Nantucket has a relatively mild climate, with temperatures moderated by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream, drawing comparisons to certain islands of Scotland.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Noting that its waters are ice-free thanks to the Gulf Stream, the Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy has, for example, suggested excluding the Barents Sea from the EU's definition of the Arctic.
From Barron's ● Mar. 14, 2026
The large volumes of meltwater flowing from shrinking glaciers can also disrupt major ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream, with significant consequences for Europe's climate.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2025
We could see two tankers and a cruise ship, all northbound in the Gulf Stream.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.