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at sea

 [see]   Origin

sea

   [see]
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.
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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.
COLLAPSE
adjective
11.
of, pertaining to, or adapted for use at sea.

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At sea is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Idioms
12.
at sea,
a.
on the ocean.
b.
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,
a.
to set out on a voyage.
b.
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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To at sea
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

sea
O.E. sæ "sheet of water, sea, lake," from P.Gmc. *saiwaz (cf. O.S. seo, O.Fris. se, M.Du. see), of unknown origin, outside connections "wholly doubtful" (Buck). Gmc. languages also use the general IE word (represented by Eng. mere), but have no firm distinction between "sea" and "lake," either
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by size 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, and exist in opposite senses (e.g. Goth. saiws "lake," marei "sea;" but Du. zee "sea," meer "lake"). Cf. also O.N. sær "sea," but Dan. sø, usually "lake" but "sea" in phrases. Ger. See is "sea" (fem.) or "lake" (masc.). Meaning "dark area of the moon's surface" is attested from 1667 (see mare (2)). Phrase sea change "transformation" is attested from 1610, first in Shakespeare ("The Tempest," I.ii). Sea legs is from 1712; sea serpent attested from 1646; sea level first recorded 1806. At sea in the fig. sense of "perplexed" is attested from 1768, from lit. sense of "out of sight of land."
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
sea   (sē)  Pronunciation Key 

  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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

sea definition


  1. n.
    cocaine. (Drugs. A spelling-out of C.) : I never used sea before. I hear there's nothing like it.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

at sea

  1. Aboard a ship, on the ocean, as in Within a few hours the ship would be out at sea. During World War II a famous American newscaster addressed his radio broadcasts to listeners everywhere, including "all the ships at sea." [1300s]

  2. Also, all at sea. Perplexed, bewildered, as in She was all at sea in these new surroundings. This idiom transfers the condition of a vessel that has lost its bearings to the human mind. Charles Dickens used it in Little Dorrit (1855): "Mrs. Tickit ... was so plainly at sea on this part of the case." [Second half of 1700s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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