sea

[see] /si/
noun
1.
the salt waters that cover the greater part of the earth's surface.
2.
a division of these waters, of considerable extent, more or less definitely marked off by land boundaries:
the North Sea.
3.
one of the seven seas; ocean.
4.
a large lake or landlocked body of water.
5.
the degree or amount of turbulence of the ocean or other body of water, as caused by the wind.
6.
the waves.
7.
a large wave:
The heavy seas almost drowned us.
8.
a widely extended, copious, or overwhelming quantity:
a sea of faces; a sea of troubles.
9.
the work, travel, and shipboard life of a sailor:
The sea is a hard life but a rewarding one.
10.
Astronomy, mare3 .
adjective
11.
of, pertaining to, or adapted for use at sea.
Idioms
12.
at sea,
  1. on the ocean.
  2. perplexed; uncertain:
    completely at sea as to how to answer the question.
Also, asea.
13.
follow the sea, to pursue a nautical career:
Many boys then dreamed of following the sea.
14.
go to sea,
  1. to set out on a voyage.
  2. to embark on a nautical career.
15.
half seas over, Slang. partly or completely drunk:
They came home at dawn, looking half seas over.
Also, half-seas over.
16.
put to sea, to embark on a sea voyage:
The expedition is nearly ready to put to sea.
Also, put out to sea.
Origin
before 900; Middle English see, Old English sǣ; cognate with Dutch zee, German See, Old Norse sær sea, Gothic saiws marsh
Synonyms
8. multitude, host, abundance, mass.
British Dictionary definitions for put to sea

sea

/siː/
noun
1.
  1. the sea, the mass of salt water on the earth's surface as differentiated from the land related adjectives marine maritime thalassic
  2. (as modifier): sea air
2.
(capital when part of place name)
  1. one of the smaller areas of ocean: the Irish Sea
  2. a large inland area of water: the Caspian Sea
3.
turbulence or swell, esp of considerable size: heavy seas
4.
(capital when part of a name) (astronomy) any of many huge dry plains on the surface of the moon See also mare2
5.
anything resembling the sea in size or apparent limitlessness
6.
the life or career of a sailor (esp in the phrase follow the sea)
7.
at sea
  1. on the ocean
  2. in a state of confusion
8.
go to sea, to become a sailor
9.
put to sea, put out to sea, to embark on a sea voyage
Word Origin
Old English sǣ; related to Old Norse sǣr, Old Frisian sē, Gothic saiws, Old High German sēo
Word Origin and History for put to sea

sea

n.

Old English sæ "sheet of water, sea, lake, pool," from Proto-Germanic *saiwaz (cf. Old Saxon seo, Old Frisian se, Middle Dutch see, Swedish sjö), of unknown origin, outside connections "wholly doubtful" [Buck]. Meaning "large quantity" (of anything) is from c.1200. Meaning "dark area of the moon's surface" is attested from 1660s (see mare (n.2)).

Germanic languages also use the general Indo-European word (represented by English mere (n.)), but have no firm distinction between "sea" and "lake," either by size, by inland or open, or by salt vs. fresh. This may reflect the Baltic geography where the languages are thought to have originated. The two words are used more or less interchangeably in Germanic, and exist in opposite senses (e.g. Gothic saiws "lake," marei "sea;" but Dutch zee "sea," meer "lake"). Cf. also Old Norse sær "sea," but Danish sø, usually "lake" but "sea" in phrases. German See is "sea" (fem.) or "lake" (masc.). The single Old English word sæ glosses Latin mare, aequor, pontus, pelagus, and marmor.

Phrase sea change "transformation" is attested from 1610, first in Shakespeare ("The Tempest," I.ii). Sea anemone is from 1742; sea legs is from 1712; sea level from 1806; sea urchin from 1590s. At sea in the figurative sense of "perplexed" is attested from 1768, from literal sense of "out of sight of land" (c.1300).

put to sea in Science
sea
  (sē)   

  1. The continuous body of salt water that covers most of the Earth's surface.

  2. A region of water within an ocean and partly enclosed by land, such as the North Sea. See Note at ocean.

  3. A large body of either fresh or salt water that is completely enclosed by land, such as the Caspian Sea.

  4. Astronomy A mare.


Related Abbreviations for put to sea

SEA

  1. Seattle Mariners
  2. Seattle Seahawks
  3. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
  4. solar elevation angle
Idioms and Phrases with put to sea

put to sea

see: put out , def. 2.

sea

In addition to the idiom beginning with
sea
also see: