marine

[muh-reen]

adjective

1. of or relating to the sea; existing in or produced by the sea.

   marine vegetation.

2. pertaining to navigation or shipping; nautical; naval; maritime.

3. serving on shipboard, as soldiers.

4. of or belonging to the marines.

5. adapted for use at sea.

   a marine barometer.

noun

1. a member of the U.S. Marine Corps.

2. one of a class of naval troops serving both on shipboard and on land.

3. seagoing ships collectively, especially with reference to nationality or class; shipping in general.

4. a picture with a marine subject; seascape.

5. naval affairs, or the department of a government, as in France, having to do with such affairs.

marine

/ məˈriːn /

adjective

1. of, found in, or relating to the sea

2. of or relating to shipping, navigation, etc

3. of or relating to a body of seagoing troops

   marine corps

4. of or relating to a government department concerned with maritime affairs

5. used or adapted for use at sea

   a marine camera

noun

1. shipping and navigation in general

   the merchant marine

2. (capital when part of a name) a member of a marine corps or similar body

3. a picture of a ship, seascape, etc

4. informal,  an expression of disbelief

marine

1. Relating to the sea.

2. Relating to a system of open-ocean and unprotected coastal habitats, characterized by exposure to wave action, tidal fluctuation, and ocean currents and by the absence of trees, shrubs, or emergent vegetation. Water in the marine system is at or near the full salinity of seawater.

3. Compare lacustrine palustrine riverine

Other Word Forms

• intermarine adjective
• nonmarine adjective
• semimarine adjective
• supermarine adjective
• unmarine adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of marine¹

1325–75; Middle English maryne < Middle French marin (feminine marine ) < Latin marīnus of the sea, derivative of mare sea; -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of marine¹

C15: from Old French marin, from Latin marīnus, from mare sea

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. dead marine, an empty bottle of beer or spirits.

2. tell it / that to the marines! I don't believe your story; I refuse to be fooled.

Example Sentences

He said the amount the former marine was claiming was "wholly unrealistic" as hearing loss had not impeded his career.

From BBC

The flood rapidly refilled the basin, drowning the salt flats and restoring normal marine conditions in less than 100,000 years.

From Science Daily

It found that 12 whales at the park had died over a two year period and declared all the park's marine life to be under distress.

From BBC

Last year, viewers were subject to a thick marine layer that clouded the skies and nearly obstructed the view of the few planes that still went up.

From Los Angeles Times

Western Australia has "eco-barriers" which fully section off smaller bits of coastline with a more tightly woven netting – offering better protection for swimmers, though not surfers, while also minimising the harm to marine life.

From BBC

Related Words

• aquatic 
• coastal 
• deep-sea 
• maritime 
• naval 
• saltwater 
• seagoing