NYT Dictionary

OCEAN

/ˈoʊ.ʃən/
NounO-ceano-cean · 2 syllablesGrade 3

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026

Meaning

One of the large bodies of water separating the continents.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

Etymology tree Ancient Greek Ὠκεᾰνός (Ōkeănós)der. Latin Ōceanusder. Old French occeanbor. Middle English *ocean, occean, occian, occyan English ocean From Middle English *ocean, occean, occian, occyan, from Old French occean (later reborrowed or reinforced by Middle French ocean), from Latin Ōceanus, originally from Ancient Greek Ὠκεανός (Ōkeanós, “Oceanus”, a water deity). Displaced native Old English gārseċġ. Also commonly referred to as the ocean sea, the sea of ocean (compare Latin mare ōceanum; Old French mer oceane, occeanne mer). Compare Saterland Frisian Oceoan (“ocean”), West Frisian oseaan (“ocean”), Dutch oceaan (“ocean”), German Low German Ozeaan (“ocean”), German Ozean (“ocean”), Danish ocean (“ocean”), Swedish ocean (“ocean”), French océan (“ocean”), Italian oceano (“ocean”). Doublet of Oceanus/Okeanos.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

the oginseaabundanceacresbarreldeepdrinkfloodhydrosphereload

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 5 recorded puzzles:

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