by sea

IPA/baɪ sˈiː/
IPA/baɪ sˈiː/

by sea — idiom

1. using a ship to travel somewhere or to move goods from one place to another, rat

1.idiomB1
Definition

using a ship to travel somewhere or to move goods from one place to another, rather than going by plane, train, or road.

Example

The heavy machines were sent by sea because they were too large for any plane.

transport goods + by sea (cheaper for heavy items)

Christopher chose to travel by sea so he could enjoy the slow journey to Greece.

travel + by sea for leisure

Common collocations
  • travel by sea
  • send by sea
  • transport by sea
  • arrive by sea
Synonyms
  • by ship

    more specific; names the vessel rather than the route

  • by boat

    suggests a smaller craft or a shorter crossing

Antonyms
  • by air

    by plane; faster but usually more expensive

  • by land

    by road or rail across ground

Grammar Patterns

travel / send / transport + by sea

Usage Note

Almost always follows verbs of movement or transport such as travel, go, send, ship, or arrive. Pairs with 'by air' and 'by land' as the standard set of travel-method phrases; use no article (never 'by the sea', which means beside the ocean).

Common Mistakes

We sent the boxes by the sea.
We sent the boxes by sea.
'by sea' (no article) means by ship; 'by the sea' means next to the ocean.
They went to Japan by a sea.
They went to Japan by sea.
the phrase is fixed with no article and no plural.

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A fixed phrase built from the preposition 'by', used here to mark the means or method of travel, and the noun 'sea'. English has long used 'by' to name how something is done or moved — as in 'by hand' or 'by train' — and 'by sea' simply applies that pattern to ship travel, standing alongside 'by land' and the later 'by air'.