Arctic Ocean

American  

[ahrk-tik oh-shuhn, ahr-tik] / ˈɑrk tɪk ˈoʊ ʃən, ˈɑr tɪk /

noun

1. the smallest of the world’s five principal oceans, located north of North America, Asia, and the Arctic Circle, with its deepest section within the Greenland Sea. 6,007,000 square miles (15,558,000 square kilometers).

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Arctic Ocean British  

noun

1. the ocean surrounding the North Pole, north of the Arctic Circle. Area: about 14 100 000 sq km (5 440 000 sq miles)

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Arctic Ocean Cultural  

1. The cold, ice-covered waters surrounding the North Pole, located entirely within the Arctic Circle. It contains the northernmost islands of Canada, Norway, and Russia.

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Most of the Arctic Ocean is covered by solid ice, ice floes, and icebergs.

Etymology

Origin of Arctic Ocean

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Arctic Ocean

The path of total eclipse begins at the tip of Siberia before curving round the Arctic Ocean and crossing parts of Greenland and Iceland.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Carbon that was previously locked in the soil can then reach the Arctic Ocean through rivers and coastal erosion.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

The Arctic Ocean also saw its second-lowest sea ice extent for the month of May.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Even the freezing cold Arctic Ocean teems with life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

There she would meet the North Star, the ship that brings supplies from the States to the towns on the Arctic Ocean in August when the ice pack breaks up.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George