oceanography

noun

ocean·​og·​ra·​phy ˌō-shə-ˈnä-grə-fē How to pronounce oceanography (audio)
: a science that deals with the oceans and includes the delimitation of their extent and depth, the physics and chemistry of their waters, marine biology, and the exploitation of their resources
oceanographer noun
oceanographic adjective
or less commonly oceanographical
oceanographically adverb

Examples of oceanography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In the 2000s after working with the development of satellite oceanography applications for the Simon Bolivar University, Balladares saw an opportunity at the Ministry of Environment (Minec) of Veneuzeula and in 2001 went to the town of Macuro where sea turtle depredation was alarming. Andrew Wight, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 Threat level: That will be enough to breach seawalls and flood streets and possibly some homes in low-lying areas, University of South Florida physical oceanography professor emeritus Robert Weisberg told Axios. Kathryn Varn, Axios, 25 Sep. 2024 Kara Lavender Law, an oceanography professor at the Sea Education Association who wasn’t involved in the study, agreed, based on U.S. plastic waste trends. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2024 Craig Smith, professor emeritus of oceanography at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, called the geobattery hypothesis a reasonable explanation for the production of dark oxygen. Katie Hunt, CNN, 22 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for oceanography 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Ozeanographie, Oceanographie from Ozean, Ocean ocean + -o- -o- + -graphie -graphy (after Geographie geography, Aërographie "meteorology")

Note: The German word was apparently introduced by the German seaman and academic Eduard Bobrik (1802-70) in Handbuch der praktischen Seefahrtskunde, Band 1 (Zürich/Hamburg, 1846), p. 79 ff.

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oceanography was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near oceanography

Cite this Entry

“Oceanography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oceanography. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

oceanography

noun
ocean·​og·​ra·​phy ˌō-shə-ˈnäg-rə-fē How to pronounce oceanography (audio)
: a science that deals with the ocean
oceanographer noun
oceanographic adjective
oceanographically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on oceanography

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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