Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Definition: At Sea |
At SeaAdjective1. Traveling by boat or ship. 2. Perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment; "obviously bemused by his questions"; "bewildered and confused"; "a cloudy and confounded philosopher"; "just a mixed-up kid"; "she felt lost on the first day of school". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Synonyms: At SeaSynonyms: at sea(p) (adj), baffled (adj), befuddled (adj), bemused (adj), bewildered (adj), confounded (adj), confused (adj), lost (adj), mazed (adj), mixed-up (adj), sailing (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Ignorance | In the dark; benighted, belated; blinded, blindfolded; hoodwinked; misinformed; au bout de son latin, at the end of his tether, at fault; at sea; (uncertain); caught tripping. |
Ocean | Adverb: at sea, on sea; afloat. |
Uncertainty | In a state of uncertainty, in a cloud, in a maze; bushed, off the track; ignorant.; afraid to say; out of one's reckoning, astray, adrift; at sea, at fault, at a loss, at one's wit's end, at a nonplus; puzzled; Verb: lost, abroad, d_sorient_; distracted, distraught. |
Unintelligibility | Not understand; lose, lose the clue; miss; not know what to make of, be able to make nothing of, give it up; not be able to account for, not be able to make either head or tail of; be at sea; (uncertain); wonder; see through a glass darkly; (ignorance). |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | My story starts at sea a perilous voyage to an unknown land a shipwreck the wild waters roar and heave the brave vessel is dashed all to pieces, and all the helpless souls within her drowned all save one a lady whose soul is greater than the ocean and her spirit stronger than the sea's embrace not for her a watery end, but a new life beginning on a stranger shore. (Shakespeare in Love; writing credit: Marc Norman; Tom Stoppard) I'm out at sea three weeks a month and when I'm back at port I don't have time for this daddy stuff cause that's not who I am. (Officer and a Gentleman, An; writing credit: Douglas Day Stewart) Suppose I wanted to put a dead body in the sea, and let it float ashore, and have it accepted by the people who find it as the victim of an air crash at sea. What sort of body would I need? (The Man Who Never Was; writing credit: Nigel Balchin; Ewen Montagu) | |
Lyrics | Phantom ships, lost at sea (Ghost Of You And Me; performing artist: BBMak) When I'm lost at sea (Heaven Is A Place On Earth; performing artist: Belinda Carlisle) Lost at sea, hide the desert (Muscles; performing artist: Diana Ross) Just a castaway, an island lost at sea, oh (Message In A Bottle; performing artist: The Police) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Doctor at Sea (1974) All at Sea (1970) Girls at Sea (1958) Doctor at Sea (1955) Victory at Sea (1954) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Theater & Movies |
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Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
![]() | Magnetic observations at sea on the C&GS Ship BACHE. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. | ![]() | Chuginadak Island from at sea. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
![]() | National Oceanographic Data Center employees at sea - kayaking along the Patuxent River. Credit: America's Coastlines. | ![]() | A lost blue heron hitching a ride at sea. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |
![]() | Cape York from at sea. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. | ![]() | Stained glass at the Seamen's Memorial Tower commemorating fishermen who have lost their lives at sea. Credit: Fisheries. |
![]() | Fishermen's Memorial at Seattle dedicated to those who lost their lives at sea. Credit: Fisheries. | ![]() | The printing press used on the Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship PATHFINDER during World War II. The PATHFINDER was staffed by C&GS hydrographers who were the first to survey AND print maps at sea during combat operations. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
![]() | A burial at sea off the JOHN N. COBB. A mariner returning to the sea he loved. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. | ![]() | A view from at sea of the Formigas Islands of the Azores. Plate VII, print 11. In: "Results of the Scientific Campaigns of the Prince of Monaco." Vol. 89. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Play | Caption |
| Fog horn, lighthouse; shipping; ocean; ship; fog; dark; lost at sea; storm. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Samuel Johnson | Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been at sea. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
Treaty of Versailles | 1919 | Conventions of September 23, 1910, respecting the unification of certain regulations regarding collisions and salvage at sea. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | (r)Monsieur to a convict, is a glass of water to a man dying of thirst at sea. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | Raids continued intermittently until 1835, when the shaikhs agreed not to engage in hostilities at sea. (references) | |
Maritime tasks of the Coast Guard will continue to be given priority, while other Norwegian naval presence at sea will be reduced. (references) | ||
Civil Liberties | Somalia | There were reports that hundreds of such migrants drowned in accidents at sea during the year. (references) |
Italy | Most illegal migrants paid fees to smugglers and some risked death because smugglers at times unload their human cargo at sea to avoid capture by patrol boats. (references) | |
Economic History | Sao Tome and Principe | At sea level, the climate is tropical--hot and humid with average yearly temperatures of about 27 degrees C (80 degrees F) and little daily variation. (references) |
Worker Rights | Gabon | The ship returned to Cotonou, Benin, after approximately 2 weeks at sea. (references) |
Togo | On April 17, the ship returned to Benin after approximately 2 weeks at sea. (references) | |
Venezuela | The group claimed that it had been abandoned at sea by a Turkish cargo ship that, for a fee, had brought them from Africa to find work in an undetermined country. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
James Monroe | 1817-1825 | From the other, by whose then reigning Government our vessels were seized in port as well as at sea and their cargoes confiscated, indemnity has been expected, but has not yet been rendered. |
Andrew Jackson | 1829-1837 | In the construction of vessels at the different navy yards and in the employment of our ships and squadrons at sea that branch of the service has been actively and usefully employed. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Expressions using "at sea": accident at sea ♦ all at sea ♦ at sea level ♦ be all at sea ♦ be at sea ♦ be at sea level ♦ bury at sea ♦ International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea ♦ put out at sea ♦ replenishment at sea. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| Language | Translations for "at sea"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | في عرض البحر, في رحلة بحرية, مفاجئ (abrupt, flash, like a bolt from the blue, precipitate, snappy, sudden, surprised, surprising, swift, unexpected, unforeseen, unlooked for, unpredicted), ذاهل (absent, distracted, distraught, faraway, moonstruck). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | tonout v nejistotì (be all at sea). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | ved den roerlaegningsmetode,der benytter udrulningstromle,fremstilles paa land et roer med lille diameter i en laengde,som rulles paa en stor tromle,der er monteret paa en soegaaende laegter;paa havet udrulles roerledningen fra laegteren,mens denne bugser (in the reel method of pipelaying small diameter pipe is made up in a long length on shore and coiled on a large reel mounted on a seagoing barge;out at sea, the barge unspools the pipeline while it is towed along the route), uddannelseskurs til søs (training at sea, training courses at sea), internationale søvejsregler (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), i visse havne,der ikke kan anloebes af skibe med stor tonnage,sker lastning og losning ved hjaelp af en fleksibel ledning,der kaldes sea-line,og som forbinder kajanlaegget med et fortoejningssted i rum soe (in some ports, inaccessible to ships of large tonnage, loading and unloading are carried out by means of a flexible pipeline called a sealine, which connects the quay to a mooring point at sea), for at undgaa justeringer af laengden,noget som altid er vanskeligt paa land og da saerlig besvaerligt til havs,er det blevet almindeligt at anvende hydrauliske pakningsenheder til nedsaetning (always troublesome on land and particulary difficult at sea, it has become usual to employ hydraulically set(production)packers, to avoid depth adjustments), Fællesskabsinformationssystem vedrørende kontrol med og formindskelse af forurening af havet med kulbrinter (Community information system for the control and reduction of pollution caused by hydrocarbons discharged at sea), Fællesskabsinformationssystem vedrørende kontrol med og formindskelse af forurening af havet med carbonhydrider (Community information system for the control and reduction of pollution caused by hydrocarbons discharged at sea), dynamisk positionsfastholdelse vil sige fastholdelse paa samme sted til havs uden brug af ankre (dynamic positioning is the concept of remaining in one spot at sea without anchors), Det raadgivende Udvalg for kontrol med og formindskelse af forurening af havet med carbonhydrider og andre farlige Stoffer (Advisory Committee on the Control and Reduction of Pollution caused by Oil and other Harmful Substances discharged at Sea). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | Zeeaanvaringsreglement (Collisions at Sea Regulations), Raadgevend Comite voor de controle op en de beperking van de verontreiniging van de zee door lozingen van koolwaterstoffen en andere gevaarlijke stoffen (Advisory Committee on the Control and Reduction of Pollution caused by Oil and other Harmful Substances discharged at Sea), om het aanpassen van buislengten-hetwelk op het vasteland vervelend en op zee bijzonder moeilijk is-te vermijden,is het gebruikelijk geworden hydraulische pakkers te gebruiken (always troublesome on land and particulary difficult at sea, it has become usual to employ hydraulically set(production)packers, to avoid depth adjustments), Internationale Bepalingen ter Voorkoming van Aanvaringen op Zee (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), dynamische stationering betekent dat een boorschip op zee,zonder verankering op zijn plaats blijft (dynamic positioning is the concept of remaining in one spot at sea without anchors), cursus buitengaats (training at sea, training courses at sea), Communautair informatiesysteem voor de controle op en de beperking van de verontreiniging van de zee door olie (Community information system for the control and reduction of pollution caused by hydrocarbons discharged at sea), bij de haspelmethode wordt pijp van kleine diameter aan land tot een lange leiding samengesteld en om een grote haspel gewikkeld,die op een zeewaardige lichter staat opgesteld;op zee wordt de pijpleiding afgewonden terwijl de lichter langs de route wordt (in the reel method of pipelaying small diameter pipe is made up in a long length on shore and coiled on a large reel mounted on a seagoing barge;out at sea, the barge unspools the pipeline while it is towed along the route). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | aavalla merellä (on the high seas, on the open sea, out at sea), olla merillä (be at sea), meriteiden säännöt (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), merionnettomuus (disaster at sea), merihätä (peril at sea), kansainväliset säännöt yhteentörmäämisen ehkäisemiseksi merellä (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | en voyage maritime, en mer. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | auf see. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | στην θάλασσα (overboard). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | tengeren (afloat, by sea), nyílt tengeren (in the open sea, offshore). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | in mare (afloat, overboard). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | "里霧中 (all at sea, be in a maze, be totally at a loss, bewildered, in a fog, lose one's bearings, mystified, up in the air). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | すいそう (burial at sea, cistern, fish tank, playing wind instruments, water plant, water tank), かいようとうき (dumping at sea), "りむちゅう (all at sea, be in a maze, be totally at a loss, bewildered, in a fog, lose one's bearings, mystified, up in the air), とまどい (being at sea, losing one's bearings). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | er yn aarkey, er y cheayn (by water). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | atay easay em alto mar. (various references) în larg (in the offing). (various references) b nchuir (squeamishness at sea). (various references) en el mar. (various references) till sjöss (by sea). (various references) gemide (aboard, on board, on shipboard), denizde (afloat). (various references) у морі, у плаванні (afloat). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Date | Source | 1 Kings Chapter 10, Verse 22 |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Quia classis regis per mare cum classe Hiram semel per tres annos ibat in Tharsis deferens inde aurum et argentum dentes elefantorum et simias et pavos |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | For the nauee of the kyng bi the see with the nauee of Yram onys bi thre yeer wente into Tharsis, bryngynge thens gold, and siluer, and olefauntis teeth, and apis, and pokokis. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | For the king had Tarshish-ships at sea with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the Tarshish-ships came with gold and silver and ivory and monkeys and peacocks. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | 1 Kings Chapter 10, Verse 22 |
| Cebuano | Kay didto sa dagat diha ang usa ka panon nga sakayan sa Tarsis nga iya sa hari, uban sa panon nga sakayan ni Hiram: makausa sa taggutlo ka tuig nga mahianha ang panon nga sakayan sa Tarsis, nanagdala sa bulawan, ug salapi, garing, ug mga onggoy, ug mga pabo-real. |
| Croatian | Kralj je imao taršiško brodovlje na moru zajedno s Hiramovim brodovljem, i svake treæe godine dolazilo je taršiško brodovlje donoseæi zlato, srebro i slonovu kost, majmune i paune. |
| Danish | Kongen havde nemlig Tarsisskibe i Søen sammen med Hirams Skibe; og en Gang hvert tredje År kom Tarsisskibene, ladet med Guld, Sølv, Elfenben, Aber og Påfugle. |
| Dutch | Want de koning had in zee schepen van Tharsis, met de schepen van Hiram; deze schepen van Tharsis kwamen in, eenmaal in drie jaren, brengende goud, en zilver, elpenbeen, en apen, en pauwen. |
| Finnish | Kuninkaalla oli Tarsiin-laivasto merellä Hiiramin laivaston kanssa. Kerran kolmessa vuodessa Tarsiin-laivasto tuli ja toi kultaa ja hopeata, norsunluuta, apinoita ja riikinkukkoja. |
| French | Car le roi avait en mer des navires de Tarsis avec ceux de Hiram; et tous les trois ans arrivaient les navires de Tarsis, apportant de l`or et de l`argent, de l`ivoire, des singes et des paons. |
| German | Denn die Meerschiffe des Königs, die auf dem Meer mit den Schiffen Hirams fuhren, kamen in drei Jahren einmal und brachten Gold, Silber, Elfenbein, Affen und Pfauen. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Salomo mempunyai banyak kapal besar yang berlayar bersama kapal-kapal Raja Hiram. Tiga tahun sekali kapal-kapal itu kembali membawa emas, perak, gading, kera dan burung merak. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Karena pada baginda adalah kapal dari Tarsis di laut serta dengan kapal Hiram, maka tiap-tiap tiga tahun sekali masuklah segala kapal dari Tarsis itu, muatannya emas dan perak dan gading dan beberapa kera dan burung merak. |
| Italian | Difatti il re aveva in mare la flotta di Tarsis, oltre la flotta di Chiram; ogni tre anni la flotta di Tarsis portava carichi d'oro e d'argento, d'avorio, di scimmie e di babbuini. |
| Maori | He maha hoki a te kingi kaipuke ki Tarahihi i te moana, he mea huihui ki nga kaipuke a Hirama: kotahi te unga mai i nga tau e toru o nga kaipuke o Tarahihi, hei kawe mai i te koura, i te hiriwa, i te rei, i nga makimaki, me nga pikake. |
| Norwegian | For kongen hadde Tarsis-skiber på havet sammen med Hirams skiber; en gang hvert tredje år kom Tarsis-skibene hjem og hadde med gull og sølv, elfenben og aper og påfugler. |
| Portuguese | Porque o rei tinha no mar uma frota de Társis, com a de Hirão; de três em três anos a frota de Társis voltava, trazendo ouro e prata, marfim, bugios e pavões. |
| Rumanian | Cqci kmpqratul avea pe mare corqbii din Tars cu ale lui Hiram; wi corqbiile din Tars veneau la fiecare trei ani, aducknd aur wi argint, fildew, maimuye wi pquni. |
| Russian | Й'П Х "БТС 'ЩМ ОБ НПТЕ жБТУЙУУЛЙК ЛПТБ'МШ У ЛПТБ'МЕН иЙТБНПЧЩН; Ч ФТЙ ЗП"Б ТБЪ ТЙИП"ЙМ жБТУЙУУЛЙК ЛПТБ'МШ, ТЙЧПЪЙЧЫЙК ЪПМПФП Й УЕТЕ'ТП, Й УМПОПЧХА ЛПУФШ, Й П'ЕЪШСО, Й БЧМЙОПЧ. |
| Spanish | Porque el rey tenía en el mar la flota de Tarsis con la flota de Hiram; y una vez cada tres años venía la flota de Tarsis trayendo oro, plata, marfil, monos y pavos reales. |
| Swedish | Ty konungen hade en egen Tarsisflotta på havet jämte Hirams flotta; en gång vart tredje år kom Tarsisflottan hem och förde med sig guld och silver, elfenben, apor och påfåglar. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-e-s-t" | |
-1 letter: asea, ates, east, eats, etas, sate, seat, seta, teas. | |
-2 letters: aas, ate, eat, eta, sae, sat, sea, set, tae, tas, tea. | |
-3 letters: aa, ae, as, at, es, et, ta. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-e-s-t" | |
+1 letter: abates, agates, alates, ansate, reatas, savate. | |
+2 letters: abaters, ablates, abreast, acetals, aerates, aerosat, agnates, altheas, anapest, anatase, annates, ansated, aristae, asteria, ataxies, atlases, atresia, aviates, carates, caseate, catenas, caveats, entasia, erratas, exactas, gastrea, gateaus, hamates, hastate, karates, lactase, malates, maltase, palates, peasant, saccate, satiate, savates, sealant, seawant, taenias, takahes, tamales, teargas, vacates, wastage, watapes. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Sounds | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Historic 11. Quotations: Fiction 12. Quotations: Non-fiction | 13. Quotations: Speeches 14. Expressions 15. Translations: Modern 16. Bible Trace | 17. Anagrams 18. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.