sea
Definitions
The large expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface; a named or specific part of it
海，海洋；（特指的）某片海
(a sea of) a vast, overwhelming quantity of something
（a sea of）大量，海量，铺天盖地的一片
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedA native English word from Old English sǣ ('sea, lake'), not a built compound. It is the base from which the whole family is formed by adding other words: sea + shore, sea + bed, over + sea(s). Beyond the literal water it stretches into metaphor: a sea of faces, and the idiom at sea ('lost, confused').
Root sea still carries 6 more wordsUsage Guide
- the sea (BrE, neutral): British English prefers 'the sea' where American English often says 'the ocean' — go to the sea / by the sea.
- a sea of (figurative): a vast quantity — a sea of troubles, a sea of red tape.
- at sea (idiom): two senses — literally 'on a voyage' (three days at sea) and figuratively 'lost, confused' (totally at sea in math class).
- by sea (no article): by ship rather than by air or land — goods sent by sea.
Example Sentences
- 1.
We spent the whole afternoon swimming in the warm sea.
- 2.
The little boat sailed far out across the open sea.
- 3.
She looked out over a sea of faces in the crowded hall.
- 4.
Without the instructions, I was completely at sea.
Synonym Comparison
- sea — the everyday Germanic word; can be a named or partly enclosed body (the North Sea); also figurative (a sea of)
- ocean — bigger and more formal; the five great world bodies (the Pacific Ocean); AmE often uses it where BrE says sea
- gulf — a large area of sea partly enclosed by land (the Gulf of Mexico)
- bay — a smaller curved inlet of the sea
- marine (adj.) — the Latin-derived adjective for 'of the sea' (marine life)