North Sea

From Middle English North-see, from Old English norþsǣ (“northern sea, Bristol Channel, Baltic, North Sea”), equivalent to north +‎ sea. Cognate with West Frisian Noardsee (“North Sea”), Dutch Noordzee, German Nordsee, Danish Nordsøen, Swedish Nordsjön, Icelandic Norðursjór.

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the North Sea

2. A marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean between Britain (in the west), Scandinavia (in the east) and Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France (in the south).
   • 1986 November, Jack Beatty, “Along the Western Front”, in The Atlantic‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 July 2022:

     Ypres was not the actual start of the front; that distinction belongs to Nieuport, a city on the North Sea twentyodd miles down the river Yser from Ypres.

• (obsolete) German Ocean, German Sea

• anthrose, horse ant

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

North Sea

1. The North Sea.