noun

das Meer, -e

sea

Eine sehr große Fläche mit Salzwasser, die Teile der Erde bedeckt und in der Fische und andere Meereslebewesen leben.

Definition & meaning

The German word "Meer" refers to the sea or the ocean. It describes the vast body of salt water that covers the majority of the Earth's surface.

In a broader sense, it can be used metaphorically to describe a large, overwhelming amount or number of something, such as "ein Meer von Lichtern" (a sea of lights) or "ein Meer von Blumen" (a sea of flowers).

Grammar & Word origin

The word "Meer" is a neuter noun (das Meer). In the plural, it becomes "die Meere".

Etymologically, it comes from the Old High German "meri". It is related to the English word "mere" (meaning a lake or pool, though now archaic) and the Dutch "meer". It shares a common Germanic root with the Gothic "marei" and is connected to the Latin "mare".

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

die See (often used interchangeably, though "See" is also used for lakes, e.g., "Bodensee")
der Ozean (specifically referring to the major world oceans)
das Weltmeer (the global ocean)
die Weltmeere (the oceans of the world)

Antonyms:

das Land (land)
der See (a lake; note that while "das Meer" is the ocean, "der See" is a lake, highlighting the distinction between salt and fresh water)