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oceanic crust

American

[oh-shee-an-ik kruhst] / ˌoʊ ʃiˈæn ɪk ˈkrʌst /

noun

Geology. the outer layer of Earth's lithosphere that lies beneath the oceans, composed mainly of basalt, about 3–6 miles (5–10 km) thick, and noted as being younger, thinner, and denser than continental crust.

oceanic crust Scientific

See under crust

Other Word Forms

oceanic crustal

adjective

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.