a member of the United States Marine Corps
"The new recruit was greeted by his fellow marine as he walked through the gates for the first time."
a soldier who serves both on shipboard and on land
"The marine commanded his squad to disembark from the landing craft before securing the beachhead against enemy fire."
A soldier, normally a member of a marine corps, trained to serve on board or from a ship
"As a proud marine, he joined his unit right after graduation from college."
A member of a marine corps.
In plain English: A marine is a person who works as a soldier on a ship at sea.
"The marine was rescued from the sinking ship after hours in the water."
Usage: Use "marine" as a noun to refer specifically to a soldier serving in a nation's naval infantry force, such as the United States Marine Corps. Do not use it to describe an ordinary sailor or someone who simply works on a boat.
of or relating to military personnel who serve both on land and at sea (specifically the U.S. Marine Corps)
"marine barracks"
relating to or characteristic of or occurring on or in the sea
"The marine biologist spent her summer studying how coral reefs support diverse life within the sea."
Belonging to or characteristic of the sea; existing or found in the sea; formed or produced by the sea.
"The general issued orders for all units of the Marine Corps to report immediately to the beachhead."
Of, or pertaining to, a marine corps.
In plain English: Marine means something that lives in or comes from the sea.
"The marine biology student spent her summer studying the creatures in the coral reef."
Usage: Use "marine" as an adjective to describe things related to the sea, such as marine life or marine biology, rather than military forces. When referring to the armed services, use "military" or specify "Marine Corps" instead.
The word "marine" entered Middle English around 1420 from Old French and Latin, where it originally meant "of the sea." Its roots trace back to a Proto-Indo-European term for body of water that also gave rise to similar words like German Meer.