high sea

[hahy see]

noun

1. the sea or ocean beyond the three-mile limit or territorial waters of a state or nation.

2. Usually high seas.

   1. the open, unenclosed waters of any sea or ocean; common waterway.

      The book was inspired by her own adventures on the high seas.

      Maritime pollution on the high seas is becoming a matter of grave consequence for coastal communities.

   2. Law.,  the area within which transactions are subject to the jurisdiction of the admiralty court.

Other Word Forms

• high-sea adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of high sea¹

First recorded before 1100