Meanings
nounseafloor spreading (usually uncountable, plural seafloor spreadings)
plural seafloor spreadings · alternative sea-floor spreading
- uncountableusuallygeographyThe outward movement of the seafloor from central underwater ridges as a result of plate tectonics; the major cause of continental drift.
However, the recognition of sea-floor spreading made sense of continental splitting without having to invoke earth expansion.
2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 143
Translations
Danish oceanbundsspredning
- oceanbundsspredningoutward movement of the seafloor
French expansion des fonds océaniques
- expansion des fonds océaniquesoutward movement of the seafloor
German Ozeanbodenspreizung
- Ozeanbodenspreizungoutward movement of the seafloor
Norwegian Bokmål havbunnsspredning
- havbunnsspredningoutward movement of the seafloor
Swedish havsbottenspridning, oceanbottenspridning
- havsbottenspridningoutward movement of the seafloor
- oceanbottenspridningoutward movement of the seafloor
Cite this entry
APA
seafloor spreading. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seafloor%20spreading
MLA
“seafloor spreading.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seafloor%20spreading. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “seafloor spreading,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seafloor%20spreading.
Source: seafloor spreading on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.