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• blue-water
  blue-water

  adjective

  designed to operate on and range over the open sea; oceangoing.
• blue water
  blue water

  noun

  water in the form of lakes and rivers, or collected in underground reservoirs. Compare white water, green water.

blue-water

¹ American  

[bloo-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈbluˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /

adjective

1. designed to operate on and range over the open sea; oceangoing.

   a bluewater navy that can be dispatched throughout the world, far from its home base.

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blue water ² American  

[bloo waw-ter] / ˈblu ˌwɔ tər /

noun

• blue waters
  plural

1. water in the form of lakes and rivers, or collected in underground reservoirs. Compare white water, green water.

2. the open sea.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blue-water
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• blue waters
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of blue-water

First recorded in 1900–05

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blue-water blue water

Today, China is building a blue-water navy capable of power projection, operating three aircraft carriers, four amphibious assault ships, eight Renhai cruisers, 25 Luyang III destroyers, and 40 Jiangkai II frigates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

Navy warfare strategists working on arming the surface fleet for massive blue-water combat.

From Fox News ● Jul. 17, 2020

As Europe’s empires continued to spread globally in the 1890s, Mahan’s prolific prose persuaded Washington that national defense required the creation of a genuine blue-water navy and bases in both the Caribbean and the Pacific.

From Salon ● Dec. 8, 2018

“China is building a blue-water navy for the long term: not just the carriers themselves but the auxiliary ships to supply them and the warships to protect them,” he said in an email.

From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2017

And whole trainfuls of people sneered at their country's institution in a manner which, had it been adopted by a foreigner, would have plunged Europe into war and finally tested the blue-water theory.

From Buried Alive: a Tale of These Days by Arnold Bennett

Along Italy's eastern coast, bands of lighter blue water stand out against the deeper blue offshore.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

And how does Brin think Lake Tahoe retains its clear, deep blue water?

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026

These passages are interspersed with photos of bright sun, yellow sand, blue water and vibrantly colored foods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

I used a flash to create the silhouette of her against the bright blue water of the pool and the spray she was throwing with her massive turn.

From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025

The pervasive television, billboard, and Internet ads featured a lush green oasis, complete with palm trees and a pool of crystal blue water, surrounded on all sides by a vast barren desert.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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