Definition

Noun: - The bottom of the sea or ocean, especially as the grave of those who die at sea: A nautical idiom referring to the seabed, imagined as a mythical resting place for drowned sailors and sunken ships.

Usage

• The term is used almost exclusively in a figurative or idiomatic context to refer to death by drowning or the resting place of things lost to the sea.
• It is often personified as the domain of "Davy Jones," a mythical spirit or devil of the sea.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to go to Davy Jones's locker": This is the primary phrasal idiom. It means to be drowned at sea or for a ship to be sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
  • The captain vowed not to let his vessel go to Davy Jones's locker without a fight.

Variants and Related Words

• Davy Jones: The name of the mythical evil spirit of the sea said to preside over the locker.
  • Sailors told tales of Davy Jones rising from the deep during hurricanes.

Synonyms

• The deep: The sea, especially its deeper parts.
• The briny deep: A poetic synonym for the ocean's depths.
• The bottom of the sea/ocean: A literal, non-idiomatic equivalent.

Related Idioms

• "to meet Davy Jones": A less common variant meaning to drown.
  • If you fall overboard in these waters, you'll meet Davy Jones for sure.

Noun

1. the bottom of a sea or ocean