deep water

noun, adj — 7 senses

deep water

nounalso spelled deep-water

1

Waters suitable for deep-draft ships, especially ocean-going.

But deep water was not secured until 1926, when Corpus Christi dug itself out 21 miles to the sea.1940, Federal Writers' Project, Texas: A Guide to the Lone Star State, page 71:

2

Idiomatic A difficult or embarrassing situation.

You will be in deep water if you are found copying work from other students.

3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see deep, water.

Related terms: deep-water

deep-water

adj

1

Having a great depth of water.

a deep-water harbour
It is intended to develop San Lourenzo^([sic]) into a deep-water port, as Guayaquil is highly unsuitable because of drifting silt banks and a thirty-mile river approach.1957 December 23, J. G. Alderson, “By Rail Through the Andes in Ecuador”, in Railway Magazine, page 837:

1 more example

The route was opened in stages between 1846-57, to link mineral industries in the area to a deep-water port at Barrow [-in-Furness] and to the rest of the national network.2021 October 20, “News in pictures”, in RAIL, number 942, page 31, photo caption:

2

Carried out at great depth.

deep-water drilling

3

Located in or near deep ocean waters.

a deep-water port

4

Living at a great depth underwater.

Derived terms: deepwater big-eyed worm eel, deepwater cardinalfish, deepwater prawn
Related terms: blue-water navy, deep water

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for deep water and deep-water.