oceanic

[oh-shee-an-ik]

adjective

1. of, living in, or produced by the ocean.

   oceanic currents.

2. Oceanography.,  of or relating to the region of water lying above the bathyal, abyssal, and hadal zones of the sea bottom.

3. immensely large; vast.

   an oceanic expanse of stars.

4. (initial capital letter),  of or relating to Oceania, its peoples, or their languages.

oceanic

¹

/ ˌəʊʃɪˈænɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the ocean

2. living in the depths of the ocean beyond the continental shelf at a depth exceeding 200 metres

   oceanic fauna

3. huge or overwhelming

4. (of geological formations) of volcanic origin, arising from the ocean

   oceanic islands

Oceanic

²

/ ˌəʊʃɪˈænɪk /

noun

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

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to this group of languages

2. of or relating to Oceania

oceanic

1. Relating to the ocean.

2. Relating to the ocean waters that lie beyond the continental shelf and exceed 200 m (656 ft) in depth.

3. Compare neritic See more at epipelagic zone

Other Word Forms

• preoceanic adjective
• unoceanic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oceanic¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Medieval Latin ōceanicus, equivalent to Latin ōcean(us) + -icus adjective suffix; ocean, -ic

Example Sentences

He whisks the reader from oceanic thermal vents through the rise of mammals to the emergence of human language, peppering the text with goofy drawings and personal anecdotes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Over time, these detached fragments are carried sideways for more than 1,000 kilometers into the oceanic mantle, where they feed volcanic activity for tens of millions of years.

Read more on Science Daily

The findings suggest that Antarctic ice retreat is not confined to one area but can spread across regions through oceanic links, amplifying ice loss on a continental scale.

Read more on Science Daily

Critics fear deep-sea mining will smother marine life with waste and the noise of heavy machinery will disrupt oceanic migrations.

Read more on Barron's

Yet it remained unclear whether oceanic microbes had developed similar enzymes independently.

Read more on Science Daily