high seas
Preserved but no longer current.
All the sea which is not the property of a particular country. The sea up to three miles out from the coast belongs to the country, and is called "territorial waters." High seas, like high-ways, means for public use. In both cases the word high means "chief," "principal." (Lat. ahum, "the main sea**; altus, "high.
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 “high seas” mean?
All the sea which is not the property of a particular country. The sea up to three miles out from the coast belongs to the country, and is called "territorial waters." High seas, like high-ways, means for public use. In both cases the word high means "chief," "principal." (Lat. ahum, "the main sea**; altus, "high.
Is “high seas” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.