Arctic
Americanadjective
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Sometimes arctic of, relating to, or located at or near the North Pole.
the Arctic region.
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Sometimes arctic coming from the North Pole or the Arctic region.
an Arctic wind.
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Often arctic suitable for use in the Arctic.
Arctic boots.
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Usually arctic characteristic of the extremely cold, snowy, windy weather north of the Arctic Circle; frigid; bleak.
an arctic winter.
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arctic, extremely cold in manner, atmosphere, etc..
a look of arctic disdain.
noun
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the Arctic, the region lying north of the Arctic Circle or of the northernmost limit of tree growth; the polar area north of the timberline.
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arctics, warm, waterproof overshoes.
adjective
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of or relating to the Arctic
arctic temperatures
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informal cold; freezing
the weather at Christmas was arctic
noun
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a high waterproof overshoe with buckles
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(modifier) designed or suitable for conditions of extreme cold
arctic clothing
noun
adjective
Discover More
The weather of the Arctic is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers.
The Arctic has been the object of much exploration by air, land, and sea. The shortest distance by plane between continents in the Northern Hemisphere is often over the Arctic.
Other Word Forms
- arctically adverb
- subarctic adjective
Etymology
Origin of Arctic
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin arcticus, from Greek arktikós “northern,” literally, “of the Bear,” equivalent to árkt(os), “bear” ( Ursa Major ) + -ikos -ic; replacing Middle English artik, from Middle French artique, from Latin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If the weather patterns bring wind from the north or east, we tap into that cold Arctic air and could see a spell of wintry weather.
From BBC
Last Saturday, Denmark’s Arctic command forces staged a rescue mission of an American crew member who needed urgent medical attention.
From Salon
After his Arctic journey, Kane came back to Philadelphia, his hometown.
From Literature
In contrast, Aphaneramma fossils have been discovered in rocks of similar age in Svalbard in the Scandinavian Arctic, the Russian Far East, Pakistan, and Madagascar.
From Science Daily
Since that day, I’ve left my footprints in many lands: the frozen wastelands of the Arctic, the bush country of Old Mexico, and the steaming jungles of Yucatán.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
