also: なんぴょうよう
noun
Refers to the ocean surrounding Antarctica. In modern usage, 南極海 is more common.
南氷洋は南極大陸を取り巻く海です。
The Antarctic Ocean is the sea surrounding the Antarctic continent.
南極海 is the more common modern term for the Antarctic Ocean; 南氷洋 is an older name still encountered in historical or literary contexts.
Compound of 南 (south), 氷 (ice), and 洋 (ocean). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the icy southern ocean.