Meaning & use
ocean current
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A continuous, directed movement of seawater through the ocean.
Grammar: Countable: one ocean current, several ocean currents.
Patterns
- a warm ocean current
- an ocean current carries something
- the ocean current flows
The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current that affects the weather in Europe.
Ocean currents carry heat from the tropics toward the poles.
Scientists tracked the plastic waste by studying the ocean current.
nouncountable
A steady flow of water in the sea that can affect travel, fishing, or climate.
Grammar: Often used with adjectives like strong, cold, or warm.
Patterns
- a strong ocean current
- swim against an ocean current
A strong ocean current made it hard for the small boat to return to shore.
Fishermen here know which ocean currents bring the best catch.
The map shows the main ocean currents of the Pacific.
Word forms
| plural | ocean currents |
|---|
Common combinations
- warm ocean current
- A warm ocean current keeps the harbor ice-free in winter.
- strong ocean current
- Swimmers were warned about the strong ocean current near the rocks.
- ocean currents carry heat
- Ocean currents carry heat from the equator to colder regions.
- change in ocean currents
- A change in ocean currents can alter rainfall patterns.
- ride the ocean current
- Tiny sea creatures ride the ocean current for hundreds of miles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sea current
- Almost the same meaning, but used more in British English and for smaller bodies of water.
- tide
- A tide is the regular rise and fall of the sea caused by the moon; a current is a steady flow in one direction.
- drift
- A drift is a slower, looser movement, often used for objects carried along rather than the water itself.
Word family
- current noun
- A flow of water, air, or electricity.
- oceanic adjective
- Relating to the ocean.
- oceanography noun
- The scientific study of the oceans.
Commonly confused: ocean current or ocean tide?
ocean current vs ocean tide
A tide rises and falls twice a day, while an ocean current is a continuous flow in a particular direction.
Practice
Which sentence uses "ocean current" correctly?
Choose one answer.
An ocean current is a flow of seawater, so it can carry a raft. The other options describe wind, pain, or writing, which do not match the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ocean current”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.