definitions

oceanic

[ oh-shee-an-ik ]
/ ˌoʊ ʃiˈæn ɪk /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR oceanic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of, living in, or produced by the ocean: oceanic currents.
of or relating to the region of water lying above the bathyal, abyssal, and hadal zones of the sea bottom.Compare neritic, pelagic.
immensely large; vast: an oceanic expanse of stars.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to Oceania, its peoples, or their languages.

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RELATED WORDS

pelagic, aquatic, seafaring, coastal, maritime, nautical, naval, oceangoing, oceanographic, seagoing

Nearby words

oceanaut, oceanfront, oceangoing, oceania, oceanian, oceanic, oceanic crust, oceanic ridge, oceanic trench, oceanic whitetip shark, oceanicity

Origin of oceanic

1650–60; < Medieval Latin ōceanicus, equivalent to Latin ōcean(us) ocean + -icus -ic
Related formspre·o·ce·an·ic, adjectiveun·o·ce·an·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for oceanic

British Dictionary definitions for oceanic (1 of 2)

oceanic

/ (ˌəʊʃɪˈænɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to the ocean
living in the depths of the ocean beyond the continental shelf at a depth exceeding 200 metresoceanic fauna
huge or overwhelming
(of geological formations) of volcanic origin, arising from the oceanoceanic islands

British Dictionary definitions for oceanic (2 of 2)

Oceanic

/ (ˌəʊʃɪˈænɪk) /

noun

a branch, group, or subfamily of the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages, comprising Polynesian and Melanesian

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to this group of languages
of or relating to Oceania
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for oceanic

oceanic

adj.

1650s, probably from French océanique, from océan (see ocean).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Science definitions for oceanic

oceanic

[ ō′shē-ăn′ĭk ]

Relating to the ocean.
Relating to the ocean waters that lie beyond the continental shelf and exceed 200 m (656 ft) in depth. Compare neritic. See more at epipelagic zone.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.