Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A warm ocean current of the northern Atlantic Ocean off eastern North America. It originates in the Gulf of Mexico and, as the Florida Current, passes through the Straits of Florida and then flows northward along the southeast coast of the United States. North of Cape Hatteras the Gulf Stream veers northeastward into the Atlantic Ocean, where it splits to form the North Atlantic Drift and the Canary Current.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- proper noun The warm
ocean current issuing from theGulf of Mexico , flowingnortheastwards along the coast ofNorth America to theGrand Banks where it breaks eastwards across theAtlantic Ocean and helps to maintain warm temperatures along the western coasts of theBritish Isles .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico northward through the Atlantic Ocean
Etymologies
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Examples
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Florida, and swept away here as the great ocean river of warm water which we call the Gulf Stream, bringing with it out of the open ocean the shoals of mackerel, and the porpoises and whales which feed upon them.
Madam How and Lady Why Charles Kingsley 1847
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He said we would go out to a place he called the Gulf Stream and that the water would be warm there and the air would be warmer, too. "
Six Little Bunkers at Mammy June's Laura Lee Hope
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It is not a simple ribbon of water running northward; the Gulf Stream is a complex system of constantly shifting currents and eddies that parallel the coast at speeds that average about four miles per hour.
The Atlantic and Its Warm, Blue River Richard Ellis 2008
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But the Gulf Stream, which is, you know, it's offshore a bit.
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The warm river known as the Gulf Stream, coming northward meets the ice-bergs and melts them, and deposits the shells, rocks and sand they carry on this plain.
Steam, Steel and Electricity James W. Steele
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There, however, the current running north-east is called the Gulf Stream, and it is the warm water of this stream, coming from the equator, which makes the climate of north-western Europe so mild, and prevents even the northernmost fiords of Norway from freezing in winter.
From Pole to Pole A Book for Young People Sven Anders Hedin 1908
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The Gulf Stream is a benign, liquid force, flowing from under the ribs of the equator, -- a white knight of the South going up to battle the giant of the North.
The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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The Gulf Stream is the cause of many of the most furious storms.
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Among these disturbing influences, the Gulf Stream is a very important one.
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After telling us of the existence and nature of a current in the ocean called the Gulf Stream, he gives the following account of the manner in which upon one occasion be made use of his theoretical knowledge.
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