sea level

noun

1. the horizontal plane or level corresponding to the surface of the sea at mean level between high and low tide.

sea level

noun

1. the level of the surface of the sea with respect to the land, taken to be the mean level between high and low tide, and used as a standard base for measuring heights and depths

sea level

1. The level of the ocean's surface. Sea level at a particular location changes regularly with the tides and irregularly due to conditions such as wind and currents. Other factors that contribute to such fluctuation include water temperature and salinity, air pressure, seasonal changes, the amount of stream runoff, and the amount of water that is stored as ice or snow.

2. ◆ The reference point used as a standard for determining terrestrial and atmospheric elevation or ocean depths is called the mean sea level and is calculated as the average of hourly tide levels measured by mechanical tide gauges over extended periods of time.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sea level¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

JOHANNESBURG—In 1886, prospectors struck gold here on a stretch of farmland more than a mile above sea level.

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The city of Big Bear Lake is at an elevation of 6,752 feet above sea level.

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To put this in perspective, one gigapascal is roughly ten thousand times the pressure of Earth's atmosphere at sea level, or about ten times the pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

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“The Incognito Lumleys, that’s you two, to a T. It’s a rare treat to find you at sea level, I must say.”

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The highest point of the Grapevine section is the Tejon Pass, which peaks in elevation at 4,144 feet above sea level.

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Related Words

• water level