Gulfstream
/ˈɡʌlf.striːm/noun
A strong ocean current, especially the warm current in the North Atlantic.
Did you know?The name comes from the Gulf Stream, a real Atlantic current first charted by early modern sailors and scientists; the word itself is a transparent geographic phrase, not an ancient occult term.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
gylf
“A deep hollow or ravine; later influenced by related Germanic forms for a bay or inlet”
Middle English
ME
gulf
“A large bay or deep inlet of the sea”
Old English
OE
strēam
“A flowing body of water; a current, river, or flow”
Middle English
ME
streem
“A current of water; a flowing stream”
Modern English
English
Gulf Stream
“The warm Atlantic ocean current running from the Gulf of Mexico toward the North Atlantic”