Atlantic Ocean
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The ocean is so called either from the Atlas mountains, the great range in north-west Africa which, to the ancients, seemed to overlook the whole ocean, or from Atlantis (q.v.}.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Atlantic Ocean” mean?
The ocean is so called either from the Atlas mountains, the great range in north-west Africa which, to the ancients, seemed to overlook the whole ocean, or from Atlantis (q.v.}.
Is “Atlantic Ocean” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.