Southern Ocean

[suhth-ern oh-shuhn]

noun

1. the waters surrounding Antarctica, comprising the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, with its deepest section in the South Sandwich Trench. 8,478,800 square miles (21,960,000 square kilometers).

Southern Ocean

noun

1. another name for the Antarctic Ocean

Word History and Origins

Origin of Southern Ocean¹

First recorded in 1660–70, referring to any southern sea; current sense dates from 1700–10