Oceanography Terms

noun a flow or stream of water, air, or electricity

adjective belonging to the present time; happening or existing now

• The current situation calls for immediate action.
• I'm not sure what the current plan is.
• What's the 411 on the current gossip?
• The current of change is sweeping through the organization.

noun a gradual movement or change from one place, condition, or state to another

verb to move slowly or gradually away from a certain point or position

• As the boat gently rocked, I felt my mind start to drift away.
• When I listen to that song, all my worries just drift away.
• I could just chill on the beach and let all my problems drift away.
• His focus began to drift away as he daydreamed about his upcoming vacation.

noun a continuous slow movement from one place to another

verb to be carried slowly by a current of air or water

• The boat began to drift aimlessly in the open sea.
• I love watching the clouds drift by on a lazy afternoon.
• Let's drift over to the park and hang out for a bit.
• Her mind started to drift away from the conversation as she daydreamed.

noun a thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface which limits visibility

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• The dense fog made driving conditions hazardous on the highway.
• I can't see anything in this fog, it's so thick!
• The fog is as thick as pea soup out there!
• The fog of confusion clouded his judgment in making a decision.

noun a circular or spiral motion or form, especially a giant whirlpool

• The ocean currents create a gyre that affects marine life in the region.
• The water in the pool forms a little gyre when I stir it with my hand.
• I watched the leaves gyre around in the wind as I walked through the park.
• His thoughts seemed to gyre endlessly in his mind, never settling on one idea.

noun The open ocean beyond the territorial waters of any country

• The ship encountered rough weather on the high seas.
• We had a great time sailing on the high seas.
• Let's hit the high seas and catch some waves!
• Navigating the high seas of entrepreneurship can be challenging.

verb to secure a boat or ship in place by attaching it to a fixed structure such as a pier or anchor

• The boat was securely moored to the dock.
• We moored the boat and went ashore to explore.
• Let's moor the boat and grab some grub.
• Her emotions were moored to the past, unable to move forward.

noun a large body of salt water that covers much of the Earth's surface

• The vastness of the ocean is both mysterious and beautiful.
• Let's go for a swim in the ocean!
• I love chilling by the ocean, it's so relaxing.
• Her emotions were like a turbulent ocean, constantly shifting and unpredictable.

noun a strong current caused by the tide that pulls objects out to sea

• The swimmer got caught in a powerful riptide and had to be rescued by a lifeguard.
• Dude, be careful when you're swimming out there, there's a strong riptide today.
• I heard there's a crazy riptide at the beach, so let's stay closer to shore.
• The sudden news of layoffs created a riptide of panic throughout the company.

adjective having the taste or flavor of salt; saline

• The chef added a pinch of salty seasoning to enhance the flavor of the dish.
• I can't eat those chips, they're too salty for my liking.
• That movie was so bad, it was salty.
• His comments were quite salty, leaving a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.

noun an act of searching through or scrubbing a surface

verb to clean or scrub thoroughly

• The archaeologists had to scour the entire site for any artifacts.
• I had to scour the whole house looking for my keys.
• I had to scour the internet to find the best deals on vacation packages.
• She had to scour her memory to remember where she had put the important documents.

noun a body of salt water that is smaller than an ocean and is partially or completely surrounded by land

verb to travel by sea

adjective relating to the sea or to the people who work on the sea

• The sea is a vast body of salt water that covers much of the Earth's surface.
• I love spending my weekends at the beach, listening to the sound of the sea.
• Let's hit up the sea for some surfing this weekend!
• His emotions were like a tumultuous sea, constantly changing and unpredictable.

adjective directed or situated towards the sea

adverb in the direction of the sea

• The ship set sail seaward towards the horizon.
• Let's take a walk along the beach and look seaward.
• I love chilling by the shore, just gazing seaward.
• She always looks seaward for new opportunities and challenges.

noun a group of wild boars

adjective comparative form of the adjective 'sound', meaning more solid or reliable

• The sounder of wild boars could be heard from a distance.
• I heard a sounder of pigs in the backyard last night.
• I can't believe the sounder of ducks that flew by just now!
• The sounder of laughter coming from the party next door was contagious.

noun foam or froth, especially that found on waves or in a liquid

verb to froth or foam

• The spume from the crashing waves was visible from the cliff.
• I got soaked by the spume when the boat hit a big wave.
• The surfer rode the wave, dodging the spume like a pro.
• Her anger bubbled up like spume, ready to explode at any moment.

noun a sudden violent gust of wind or a localized storm, especially one bringing rain, snow, or sleet

verb to cry out noisily and continuously

• The ship navigated through the squall with expert precision.
• We got caught in a squall while out on the boat.
• That squall came out of nowhere and soaked us all!
• Emotions can often hit us like a sudden squall, overwhelming and intense.

noun the action of submerging or the state of being submerged

• The submersion of the shipwreck was carefully documented by the archaeologists.
• I love going for a submersion in the pool on hot days.
• Let's go for a submersion in the lake this weekend.
• The submersion of herself in the book allowed her to escape reality for a while.

noun a large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption

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• The coastal town was devastated by a massive tidal wave that swept through with incredible force.
• Dude, did you see that tidal wave at the beach? It was insane!
• That tidal wave was totally gnarly, bro!
• The sudden influx of new customers was like a tidal wave for the small business.

adjective characterized by or having tides

• The tidal movements are influenced by the gravitational pull of the moon.
• Let's go check out the tidal pools at the beach today!
• I love watching the waves during high tide, it's so tidal!
• The tidal wave of emotions overwhelmed her as she heard the news.

adjective not mapped or surveyed; unknown; unfamiliar; not discovered or determined; not shown or located on a map; unexplored

• The explorers ventured into uncharted territory, mapping out the unknown lands.
• We're going to explore some uncharted areas this weekend, should be fun!
• Dude, we're totally going off the map into uncharted territory!
• Her mind was like an uncharted ocean, full of undiscovered depths.

noun a swirling body of water, typically produced by the meeting of opposing currents

• The powerful whirlpool formed in the center of the river due to the strong currents.
• We had to be careful not to get caught in that whirlpool while swimming in the river.
• The whirlpool in that area is no joke, it can easily pull you under if you're not careful.
• She felt like she was caught in a whirlpool of emotions, unable to escape the overwhelming feelings.

noun Panthalassa

• Panthalassa was the superocean that existed during the late Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras.
• Have you heard about Panthalassa? It was a huge ocean that covered most of the Earth's surface.
• Panthalassa was like the OG ocean, man. It was massive!
• The idea of Panthalassa represents the vastness and interconnectedness of all things in the universe.

noun a type of storm that occurs along the East Coast of the United States, characterized by strong winds and heavy precipitation

• The town prepared for the upcoming nor'easter by stocking up on emergency supplies.
• I heard we're getting hit with a nor'easter tomorrow, so get ready to hunker down.
• I can't believe this nor'easter is gonna mess up our plans for the weekend.
• Just like a nor'easter, his temper came out of nowhere and caused chaos in the office.

noun a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that is used to limit a noun, either indefinite (a, an) or definite (the)

• The fishermen would throw chum in the water to attract more fish.
• Let's throw some chum in the water and see if we can catch some big fish.
• We need to throw chum in the water to lure in the big boys.
• Sometimes you have to throw chum in the water to get people's attention.

noun a place or region close to the shore or coastline

• The company decided to outsource some of its operations to a nearshore location to reduce costs.
• Let's take a trip to a nearshore island for the weekend.
• I heard there's a cool nearshore spot where we can hang out and surf.
• The project is currently in a nearshore phase, meaning we are close to completion.

noun the science or art of making surveys of bodies of water, such as seas, lakes, and rivers, and of preparing charts or maps showing the physical features of the area

• The study of hydrography involves mapping and measuring bodies of water.
• Hydrography is all about studying water and its features.
• I'm really into hydrography - it's like the science of water stuff.
• Exploring the depths of hydrography can lead to a better understanding of our world.

noun a whirlwind occurring over a body of water, especially one in which a column of water and mist is sucked up into the air

• A steam devil is a type of vortex that forms over bodies of water when warm air rises quickly from the surface.
• I saw a cool steam devil on the lake yesterday, it looked like a mini tornado!
• Check out that crazy steam devil spinning over the river!
• The controversy surrounding the new policy created a steam devil of debate among the employees.

noun a fictional term, not found in standard dictionaries

• The government issued a warning about the potential flunami outbreak in the region.
• I heard there's a flunami going around, so make sure to wash your hands frequently.
• Dude, I think I caught the flunami from that party last night.
• The popularity of the new social media platform spread like a flunami among teenagers.

noun a type of marine animal belonging to the phylum Cnidaria, which includes jellyfish and sea anemones

• The acaleph is a type of marine animal that includes jellyfish and sea anemones.
• I saw a cool acaleph while snorkeling in the ocean.
• Check out that funky acaleph floating in the water!
• Her movements were as graceful as an acaleph drifting in the current.

noun a mass of seaweed or marine algae that has been rolled into a ball by the action of waves

• The scientist discovered an aegagropile washed up on the shore during his research expedition.
• I found a weird aegagropile on the beach today, it looked like a giant ball of seaweed!
• Check out that funky aegagropile I stumbled upon at the beach!
• The tangled mess of wires under my desk is like an aegagropile, impossible to untangle.