Meaning of the word arctic

The Arctic ( or )^{[1][Note 1]} is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), northern Finland (Lapland), Iceland, northern Norway (Finnmark and Svalbard), Russia (Murmansk, Siberia, Nenets Okrug, Novaya Zemlya), northernmost Sweden and the United States (Alaska). Land within the Arctic region has seasonally varying snow and ice cover, with predominantly treeless permafrost (permanently frozen underground ice) containing tundra. Arctic seas contain seasonal sea ice in many places.

The Arctic region is a unique area among Earth’s ecosystems. The cultures in the region and the Arctic indigenous peoples have adapted to its cold and extreme conditions. Life in the Arctic includes zooplankton and phytoplankton, fish and marine mammals, birds, land animals, plants and human societies.^[3] Arctic land is bordered by the subarctic.

Definition and etymology[edit]

The word Arctic comes from the Greek word ἀρκτικός (arktikos), «near the Bear, northern»^[4] and from the word ἄρκτος (arktos), meaning bear.^[5] The name refers either to the constellation Ursa Major, the «Great Bear», which is prominent in the northern portion of the celestial sphere, or to the constellation Ursa Minor, the «Little Bear», which contains the celestial north pole (currently very near Polaris, the current north Pole Star, or North Star).^[6]

There are a number of definitions of what area is contained within the Arctic. The area can be defined as north of the Arctic Circle (about 66° 34’N), the approximate southern limit of the midnight sun and the polar night. Another definition of the Arctic, which is popular with ecologists, is the region in the Northern Hemisphere where the average temperature for the warmest month (July) is below 10 °C (50 °F); the northernmost tree line roughly follows the isotherm at the boundary of this region.^[7][8]

Climate[edit]

The Arctic is characterized by cold winters and cool summers. Its precipitation mostly comes in the form of snow and is low, with most of the area receiving less than 50 cm (20 in). High winds often stir up snow, creating the illusion of continuous snowfall. Average winter temperatures can go as low as −40 °C (−40 °F), and the coldest recorded temperature is approximately −68 °C (−90 °F). Coastal Arctic climates are moderated by oceanic influences, having generally warmer temperatures and heavier snowfalls than the colder and drier interior areas. The Arctic is affected by current global warming, leading to Arctic sea ice shrinkage, diminished ice in the Greenland ice sheet, and Arctic methane release as the permafrost thaws.^[9][10] The melting of Greenland’s ice sheet is linked to polar amplification.^[11]

Due to the poleward migration of the planet’s isotherms (about 56 km (35 mi) per decade during the past 30 years as a consequence of global warming), the Arctic region (as defined by tree line and temperature) is currently shrinking.^[12] Perhaps the most alarming result of this is Arctic sea ice shrinkage. There is a large variance in predictions of Arctic sea ice loss, with models showing near-complete to complete loss in September from 2035 to some time around 2067.^[13][14]

Flora and fauna[edit]

Arctic life is characterized by adaptation to short growing seasons with long periods of sunlight, and cold, dark, snow-covered winter conditions.

Plants[edit]

Arctic vegetation is composed of plants such as dwarf shrubs, graminoids, herbs, lichens, and mosses, which all grow relatively close to the ground, forming tundra. An example of a dwarf shrub is the bearberry. As one moves northward, the amount of warmth available for plant growth decreases considerably. In the northernmost areas, plants are at their metabolic limits, and small differences in the total amount of summer warmth make large differences in the amount of energy available for maintenance, growth and reproduction. Colder summer temperatures cause the size, abundance, productivity and variety of plants to decrease. Trees cannot grow in the Arctic, but in its warmest parts, shrubs are common and can reach 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height; sedges, mosses and lichens can form thick layers. In the coldest parts of the Arctic, much of the ground is bare; non-vascular plants such as lichens and mosses predominate, along with a few scattered grasses and forbs (like the Arctic poppy).

Animals[edit]

Herbivores on the tundra include the Arctic hare, lemming, muskox, and caribou. They are preyed on by the snowy owl, Arctic fox, Grizzly bear, and Arctic wolf. The polar bear is also a predator, though it prefers to hunt for marine life from the ice. There are also many birds and marine species endemic to the colder regions. Other terrestrial animals include wolverines, moose, Dall sheep, ermines, and Arctic ground squirrels. Marine mammals include seals, walrus, and several species of cetacean—baleen whales and also narwhals, orcas, and belugas. An excellent and famous example of a ring species exists and has been described around the Arctic Circle in the form of the Larus gulls.

Natural resources[edit]

The Arctic includes copious natural resources (oil, gas, minerals, fresh water, fish and, if the subarctic is included, forest) to which modern technology and the economic opening up of Russia have given significant new opportunities. The interest of the tourism industry is also on the increase.

The Arctic contains some of the last and most extensive continuous wilderness areas in the world, and its significance in preserving biodiversity and genotypes is considerable. The increasing presence of humans fragments vital habitats. The Arctic is particularly susceptible to the abrasion of groundcover and to the disturbance of the rare breeding grounds of the animals that are characteristic to the region. The Arctic also holds 1/5 of the Earth’s water supply.^[15]

Paleontology[edit]

During the Cretaceous time period, the Arctic still had seasonal snows, though only a light dusting and not enough to permanently hinder plant growth. Animals such as the Chasmosaurus, Hypacrosaurus, Troodon, and Edmontosaurus may have all migrated north to take advantage of the summer growing season, and migrated south to warmer climes when winter came. A similar situation may also have been found amongst dinosaurs that lived in Antarctic regions, such as the Muttaburrasaurus of Australia.

However, others claim that dinosaurs lived year-round at very high latitudes, such as near the Colville River, which is now at about 70° N but at the time (70 million years ago) was 10° further north.^[16]

Indigenous population[edit]

The earliest inhabitants of North America’s central and eastern Arctic are referred to as the Arctic small tool tradition (AST) and existed c. 2500 BCE. AST consisted of several Paleo-Eskimo cultures, including the Independence cultures and Pre-Dorset culture.^[17][18] The Dorset culture (Inuktitut: Tuniit or Tunit) refers to the next inhabitants of central and eastern Arctic. The Dorset culture evolved because of technological and economic changes during the period of 1050–550 BCE. With the exception of the Quebec/Labrador peninsula, the Dorset culture vanished around 1500 CE.^[19] Supported by genetic testing, evidence shows that descendants of the Dorset culture, known as the Sadlermiut, survived in Aivilik, Southampton and Coats Islands, until the beginning of the 20th century.^[20]

The Dorset/Thule culture transition dates around the ninth–10th centuries CE. Scientists theorize that there may have been cross-contact of the two cultures with sharing of technology, such as fashioning harpoon heads, or the Thule may have found Dorset remnants and adapted their ways with the predecessor culture.^[21] Others believe the Thule displaced the Dorset.

By 1300 CE, the Inuit, present-day Arctic inhabitants and descendants of Thule culture, had settled in west Greenland, and moved into east Greenland over the following century (Inughuit, Kalaallit and Tunumiit are modern Greenlandic Inuit groups descended from Thule). Over time, the Inuit have migrated throughout the Arctic regions of Eastern Russia, the United States, Canada, and Greenland.^[22]

Other Circumpolar North indigenous peoples include the Chukchi, Evenks, Iñupiat, Khanty, Koryaks, Nenets, Sami, Yukaghir, Gwich’in, and Yupik.

International cooperation and politics[edit]

The eight Arctic nations (Canada, Kingdom of Denmark [Greenland & The Faroe Islands], Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and USA) are all members of the Arctic Council, as are organizations representing six indigenous populations. The council operates on consensus basis, mostly dealing with environmental treaties and not addressing boundary or resource disputes.

Though Arctic policy priorities differ, every Arctic nation is concerned about sovereignty/defense, resource development, shipping routes, and environmental protection.^[23] Much work remains on regulatory agreements regarding shipping, tourism, and resource development in Arctic waters.^[24] Arctic shipping is subject to some regulatory control through the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, adopted by the International Maritime Organization on 1 January 2017 and applies to all ships in Arctic waters over 500 tonnes.^[25][26]

Research in the Arctic has long been a collaborative international effort, evidenced by the International Polar Year. The International Arctic Science Committee, hundreds of scientists and specialists of the Arctic Council, and the Barents Euro-Arctic Council are more examples of collaborative international Arctic research.^[27]

Territorial claims[edit]

No country owns the geographic North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it. The surrounding six Arctic states that border the Arctic Ocean—Canada, Kingdom of Denmark (with Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the United States—are limited to a 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off their coasts. Two Arctic states (Finland and Sweden) do not have direct access to the Arctic Ocean.

Upon ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country has ten years to make claims to an extended continental shelf beyond its 200 nautical mile zone.^[23][28] Due to this, Norway (which ratified the convention in 1996),^[29] Russia (ratified in 1997),^[29] Canada (ratified in 2003)^[29] and the Kingdom of Denmark (ratified in 2004)^[29] launched projects to establish claims that certain sectors of the Arctic seabed should belong to their territories.

On 2 August 2007, two Russian bathyscaphes, MIR-1 and MIR-2, for the first time in history descended to the Arctic seabed beneath the North Pole and placed there a Russian flag made of rust-proof titanium alloy. The flag-placing during Arktika 2007 generated commentary on and concern for a race for control of the Arctic’s vast hydrocarbon resources.^[30]

Foreign ministers and other officials representing Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States met in Ilulissat, Greenland on 28 May 2008 at the Arctic Ocean Conference and announced the Ilulissat Declaration,^[31][32] blocking any «new comprehensive international legal regime to govern the Arctic Ocean,» and pledging «the orderly settlement of any possible overlapping claims.»^[23][33]

As of 2012, the Kingdom of Denmark is claiming the continental shelf based on the Lomonosov Ridge between Greenland and over the North Pole to the northern limit of the Russian EEZ.^[34]

The Russian Federation is also claiming a large swath of seabed along the Lomonosov Ridge but, unlike Denmark, confined its claim to its side of the Arctic. In August 2015, Russia made a supplementary submission for the expansion of the external borders of its continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean, asserting that the eastern part of the Lomonosov Ridge and the Mendeleyev Ridge are an extension of the Eurasian continent. In August 2016, the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf began to consider Russia’s submission.^[35]

Canada claims the Northwest Passage as part of its internal waters belonging to Canada, while the United States and most maritime nations^[36] regards it as an international strait, which means that foreign vessels have right of transit passage.^[37]

Exploration[edit]

Since 1937, the larger portion of the Asian-side Arctic region has been extensively explored by Soviet and Russian crewed drifting ice stations. Between 1937 and 1991, 88 international polar crews established and occupied scientific settlements on the drift ice and were carried thousands of kilometres by the ice flow.^[38]

Pollution[edit]

The Arctic is comparatively clean, although there are certain ecologically difficult localized pollution problems that present a serious threat to people’s health living around these pollution sources. Due to the prevailing worldwide sea and air currents, the Arctic area is the fallout region for long-range transport pollutants, and in some places the concentrations exceed the levels of densely populated urban areas. An example of this is the phenomenon of Arctic haze, which is commonly blamed on long-range pollutants. Another example is with the bioaccumulation of PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls) in Arctic wildlife and people.

Preservation[edit]

There have been many proposals to preserve the Arctic over the years. Most recently a group of stars at the Rio Earth Summit, on 21 June 2012, proposed protecting the Arctic, similar to the Antarctic protection. The initial focus of the campaign will be a UN resolution creating a global sanctuary around the pole, and a ban on oil drilling and unsustainable fishing in the Arctic.^[39]

The Arctic has climate change rates that are amongst the highest in the world. Due to the major impacts to the region from climate change the near climate future of the region will be extremely different under all scenarios of warming.^[40]

Global warming[edit]

The effects of global warming in the Arctic include rising temperatures, loss of sea ice, and melting of the Greenland ice sheet. Potential methane release from the region, especially through the thawing of permafrost and methane clathrates, is also a concern.^[41] Because of the amplified response of the Arctic to global warming, it is often seen as a leading indicator of global warming. The melting of Greenland’s ice sheet is linked to polar amplification.^[42][43]

The Arctic is especially vulnerable to the effects of any climate change, as has become apparent with the reduction of sea ice in recent years. Climate models predict much greater warming in the Arctic than the global average,^[44] resulting in significant international attention to the region. In particular, there are concerns that Arctic shrinkage, a consequence of melting glaciers and other ice in Greenland, could soon contribute to a substantial rise in sea levels worldwide.^[45]

The current Arctic warming is leading to ancient carbon being released from thawing permafrost, leading to methane and carbon dioxide production by micro-organisms.^[46][47] Release of methane and carbon dioxide stored in permafrost could cause abrupt and severe global warming,^[48] as they are potent greenhouse gases.^[49]

Climate change is also predicted to have a large impact on tundra vegetation, causing an increase of shrubs,^[51] and having a negative impact on bryophytes and lichens.^[52]

Apart from concerns regarding the detrimental effects of warming in the Arctic, some potential opportunities have gained attention. The melting of the ice is making the Northwest Passage, the shipping routes through the northernmost latitudes, more navigable, raising the possibility that the Arctic region will become a prime trade route.^[53] One harbinger of the opening navigability of the Arctic took place in the summer of 2016 when the Crystal Serenity successfully navigated the Northwest Passage, a first for a large cruise ship.^[54]

In addition, it is believed that the Arctic seabed may contain substantial oil fields which may become accessible if the ice covering them melts.^[55] These factors have led to recent international debates as to which nations can claim sovereignty or ownership over the waters of the Arctic.^{[56][57][58][59]}

Arctic waters[edit]

Arctic lands[edit]

Geographic Designation	National Affiliation	Designation
Alaska	United States	State
Aleutian Islands	United States	American Archipelago
Arkhangelsk Oblast	Russia	Federal subject
Arctic Archipelago	Canada	Canadian Archipelago
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug	Russia	Federal subject
Diomede Island (Big)	Russia	Island
Diomede Island (Little)	United States	Island
Finnmark	Norway	County
Franz Josef Land	Russia	Federal subject archipelago
Greenland	Kingdom of Denmark	Autonomous country
Grímsey	Iceland	Island
Jan Mayen	Norway	Island
Kitikmeot	Canada	Administrative Region
Kivalliq	Canada	Administrative Region
Krasnoyarsk Krai	Russia	Federal subject
Lapland	Finland	Region
Lapland	Sweden	Province
Murmansk Oblast	Russia	Federal subject
Nenets Autonomous Okrug	Russia	Federal subject
New Siberian Islands	Russia	Archipelago
Nordland	Norway	County
Norrbotten	Sweden	Province
Northwest Territories	Canada	Territory
Novaya Zemlya	Russia	Federal subject archipelago
Nunavik	Canada	Northern part of Quebec
Nunatsiavut	Canada	Autonomous Region of Labrador
Nunavut	Canada	Territory
Qikiqtaaluk/Baffin	Canada	Administrative Region
Russian Arctic islands	Russia	Islands
Sápmi	Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia	Fennoscandia region
Sakha Republic	Russia	Federal subject
Severnaya Zemlya	Russia	Federal subject archipelago
Siberia	Russia	Region
Svalbard	Norway	Governor of Svalbard archipelago
Troms	Norway	County
Yukon	Canada	Territory
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug	Russia	Federal subject
Wrangel Island	Russia	Zapovednik (nature reserve)

See also[edit]

• Arctic Search and Rescue Agreement
• List of countries by northernmost point
• Arctic sanctuary
• Poverty in the Arctic
• Arctic Winter Games
• Winter City

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• Gibbon, Guy E.; Kenneth M. Ames (1998). Archaeology of prehistoric native America: an encyclopedia. Vol. 1537 of Garland reference library of the humanities. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-8153-0725-9.

Further reading[edit]

• Brian W. Coad, James D. Reist. (2017). Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-4426-4710-7
• «Global Security, Climate Change, and the Arctic» Archived 29 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine – 24-page special journal issue (Fall 2009), Swords and Ploughshares, Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS), University of Illinois
• GLOBIO Human Impact maps Report on human impacts on the Arctic
• Krupnik, Igor, Michael A. Lang, and Scott E. Miller, eds. Smithsonian at the Poles: Contributions to International Polar Year Science. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, 2009.
• Konyshev, Valery & Sergunin, Alexander: The Arctic at the Crossroads of Geopolitical Interests Russian Politics and Law, 2012, Vol.50, No.2, pp. 34–54
• Käpylä, Juha & Mikkola, Harri: The Global Arctic: The Growing Arctic Interests of Russia, China, the United States and the European Union Archived 15 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine FIIA Briefing Paper 133, August 2013, The Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
• Konyshev, Valery & Sergunin, Alexander. The Arctic at the crossroads of geopolitical interests // Russian Politics and Law, 2012. Vol. 50, No. 2. p. 34–54
• Konyshev, Valery & Sergunin, Alexander: Is Russia a revisionist military power in the Arctic? Defense & Security Analysis, September 2014.
• Konyshev, Valery & Sergunin, Alexander. Russia in search of its Arctic strategy: between hard and soft power? Polar Journal, April 2014.
• McCannon, John. A History of the Arctic: Nature, Exploration and Exploitation. Reaktion Books and University of Chicago Press, 2012. ISBN 9781780230184
• O’Rourke, Ronald (14 October 2016). Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress (PDF). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
• Sperry, Armstrong (1957). All About the Arctic and Antarctic. Random House. LCCN 57007518.

External links[edit]

• Arctic Report Card
• Blossoming Arctic
• International Arctic Research Center

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• arctic

Etymology[edit]

From Middle French artique (with -c- reintroduced after Latin in the 17th century), from Latin arcticus, from Ancient Greek ἀρκτικός (arktikós, “northern, of the (Great) Bear”), from ἄρκτος (árktos, “bear, Ursa Major”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos (“bear”). Cognate to Latin ursus.

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɑː(k)tɪk/ (see Usage notes)
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑɹ(k)tɪk/ (see Usage notes)
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)tɪk, -ɑː(ɹ)ktɪk

Adjective[edit]

Arctic (not comparable)

1. (astronomy, now only in compounds) Pertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the pole star. [from 14th c.]
2. (geography) Pertaining to the northern polar region of the planet, characterised by extreme cold and an icy landscape. [from 16th c.]
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 706-711:

     […] on th’ other side
     Incenc’t with indignation Satan stood
     Unterrifi’d, and like a Comet burn’d,
     That fires the length of Ophiucus huge
     In th’ Artick Sky, and from his horrid hair
     Shakes Pestilence and Warr.

   • 1788, Samuel Jackson Pratt, Humanity, or the Rights of Nature, London: T. Cadell, Book 2, p. 96,^[1]

     See FREEDOM smiling thro’ the realms of frost,

     And glow on Labradore’s inclement coast,

     Tho’ darkness sheds deep night thro’ half the year,

     And snow invests the clime,—that clime is dear,

     For there fair LIBERTY resides, and there

     At large the native breasts the searching air,

     Where blows the arctic tempests icy gale,

     And famine seizes on the spermy whale,
3. Extremely cold, snowy, or having other properties of extreme winter associated with the Arctic. [from 16th c.]
   • 1979, John Le Carré, Smiley’s People, Folio Society 2010, p. 45:

     ‘Could you close that window, please!’ Strickland called, dialling again. ‘It’s bloody arctic down this end.’

4. Designed for use in very cold conditions. [from 19th c.]

Usage notes[edit]

• Like Antarctic, the English word was originally pronounced without /k/, but the spelling pronunciation has become the more common one. The «c» was originally added to the spelling for etymological reasons, and its pronunciation followed thereafter.

Translations[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Arctic

1. (obsolete) The north celestial pole. [15th–17th c.]
2. (geography) The region of the Earth above the Arctic Circle, containing the North Pole. [from 17th c.]
   • 1772, Richard Cumberland, The Fashionable Lover, London: W. Griffin, Act IV, p. 46,^[3]

     I’ve visited the world from arctic to ecliptic, as a surgeon does a hospital, and find all men sick of some distemper […]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

Arctic (plural Arctics)

1. (US, now chiefly historical) A warm waterproof overshoe. [from 19th c.]
2. Any of various butterflies of the genus Oeneis. [from 20th c.]

Anagrams[edit]

• -cratic, cratic

Asked by: Prof. Elsa Zulauf V

Score: 4.6/5
(30 votes)

The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Alaska, Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.

What does arctic literally mean?

What is the definition of artic?

/ (ɑːˈtɪk) / noun. informal short for articulated vehicle.

What is the full meaning of arctic?

The word arctic describes frigid and inhospitable weather. The word arctic refers to the Arctic Circle — the North Pole and the land that surrounds it — which is the northernmost major circle of latitude on the Earth.

Do people live in the Arctic?

In total, only about 4 million people live in the Arctic worldwide, and in most countries indigenous people make up a minority of the Arctic population. … Northern people found many different ways to adapt to the harsh Arctic climate, developing warm dwellings and clothing to protect them from frigid weather.

28 related questions found

арктический, полярный, северный, холодный

прилагательное ↓

существительное

- (обыкн. Arctic) Арктика
- Северный полярный круг

Словосочетания

the arctic air of deep winter — арктический воздух глубокой зимы  
equipped for service in the Arctic — оснащённый для эксплуатации в Арктике  
arctic sod soil — арктическая дерновая почва  
arctic ice — арктический лёд  
arctic intermediate waters — арктические промежуточные воды  
arctic kit — комплект оборудования для приспособления автомобиля к арктическим условиям эксплуатации  
arctic military environmental cooperation — военно-экологическое сотрудничество в арктической зоне  
arctic motorship — теплоход арктического плавания  
arctic operation — эксплуатация в арктических условиях  
arctic operations — боевые действия в арктических условиях  
arctic package — арктическая упаковка  
arctic photovoltaic system — арктическая фотоэлектрическая система  

Примеры с переводом

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Возможные однокоренные слова

arcticize  — приспосабливать к работе в арктических условиях
arctics  — теплые непромокаемые боты

Arc·tic

 (ärk′tĭk, är′tĭk)

A region between the North Pole and the northern timberlines of North America and Eurasia.

---

Arc′tic adj.

---

arc·tic

 (ärk′tĭk, är′tĭk)

adj.

Extremely cold; frigid. See Synonyms at cold.

n.

A warm waterproof overshoe.

---

[Alteration (influenced by Latin arcticus) of Middle English artik, northern, from Medieval Latin articus, from Latin arcticus, from Greek arktikos, from arktos, bear, the northern constellation Ursa Major; see r̥tko- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

arctic

(ˈɑːktɪk)

adj

1. (Placename) of or relating to the Arctic: arctic temperatures.

2. informal cold; freezing: the weather at Christmas was arctic.

n

3. (Clothing & Fashion) US a high waterproof overshoe with buckles

4. (modifier) designed or suitable for conditions of extreme cold: arctic clothing.

[C14: from Latin arcticus, from Greek arktikos northern, literally: pertaining to (the constellation of) the Bear, from arktos bear]

---

Arctic

(ˈɑːktɪk)

n

(Placename) the Arctic Arctic Zone the regions north of the Arctic Circle

adj

(Placename) of or relating to the regions north of the Arctic Circle

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

arc•tic

(ˈɑrk tɪk or, esp. for 7, ˈɑr tɪk)

adj.

1. (often cap.) of, pertaining to, or located at or near the North Pole: the arctic region.

2. coming from the North Pole or the arctic region: an arctic wind.

3. characteristic of the extremely cold, snowy, windy weather north of the Arctic Circle; frigid; bleak: an arctic winter.

4. extremely cold in manner: a look of arctic disdain.

n.

5. (often cap.) the region lying north of the Arctic Circle or of the northernmost limit of tree growth; the polar area north of the timberline.

6. arctics, warm waterproof overshoes.

[1350–1400; Middle English artik < Middle French artique < Latin arcticus < Greek arktikós northern, literally, of the Bear =árkt(os) bear (see Ursa Major) + -ikos -ic]

arc′ti•cal•ly, adv.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

arctic

— Comes from the ancient Greeks’ word for north, arktikos, literally «of the bear»; arctic should be pronounced AHRK-tik.

See also related terms for north.

Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

arctic

A type of waterproof overshoe.

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Translations

English Language Learners Definition of arctic : of or relating to the North Pole or the region around it. : very cold.

Is Arctic an adjective?

Being extremely cold, snowy, or having other properties of extreme winter associated with the Arctic.

Is Arctic a noun?

noun. 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. arctics, warm, waterproof overshoes.

Is Arctic Ocean a noun?

noun. an ocean N of North America, Asia, and the Arctic Circle. About 5,540,000 sq.

Do people live in the Arctic?

In total, only about 4 million people live in the Arctic worldwide, and in most countries indigenous people make up a minority of the Arctic population. The Inuit in Canada and Greenland, and the Yu’pik, Iñupiat, and Athabascan in Alaska, are just a few of the groups that are native to the Arctic.

Does Arctic mean bear?

The word Arctic comes from the Greek word ἀρκτικός (arktikos), “near the Bear, northern” and that from the word ἄρκτος (arktos), meaning bear. The area can be defined as north of the Arctic Circle (66° 33’N), the approximate southern limit of the midnight sun and the polar night.

Does Arctic mean cold?

Both the Arctic (North Pole) and the Antarctic (South Pole) are cold because they don’t get any direct sunlight. The Sun is always low on the horizon, even in the middle of summer. In winter, the Sun is so far below the horizon that it doesn’t come up at all for months at a time.

Who Owns the Arctic?

All land, internal waters, territorial seas and EEZs in the Arctic are under the jurisdiction of one of the eight Arctic coastal states: Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States (via Alaska). International law regulates this area as with other portions of Earth.

How cold is the Arctic?

The average Arctic winter temperature is -30° F (-34°C), while the average Arctic summer temperature is 37-54° F (3-12° C). In general, Arctic winters are long and cold while summers are short and cool.

Does Arctic have snow?

Winter. During the winter months of November through February, the sun remains very low in the sky in the Arctic or does not rise at all. Cold snow reflects between 70% and 90% of the solar radiation that reaches it, and snow covers most of the Arctic land and ice surface in winter.

How cold is the Arctic in winter?

January, February, and early March have uniform conditions with mean temperatures about −35 °F (−37 °C) in the central Siberian Arctic and −30 to −20 °F (−34 to −29 °C) in North America. The lowest extreme temperatures in the winter are between −65 and −50 °F (−54 and −46 °C).

Has it ever reached 50 degrees in Australia?

“In the past, Australia has only recorded temperatures above 50 degrees on three occasions: the most recent being Mardie in Western Australia’s Pilbara region in 1998, and Oodnadatta in South Australia, which reached 50 degrees twice in 1960 and still holds the record of 50.7C set in January of that year.

Which country is hot all year?

With a year-round average heat of 83.3 degrees Fahrenheit (28.5 degrees Celsius), the tiny, East African nation of Djibouti is the hottest country on Earth.

Which country has no rain?

But the driest non-polar spot on Earth is even more remarkable. There are places in Chile’s Atacama Desert where rain has never been recorded—and yet, there are hundreds of species of vascular plants growing there.

Is Australia hotter than India?

Both the countries are located close to the equator. Generally, Australia is hotter than India, but it is not noticed as much because of the lack of quantity of life that is affected in the central Australian desert.

Is Singapore hotter than India?

But as a general rule of thumb, there is about a 50 degree range of temperature in India. In other words, during winters, temperatures can descend to 10ºC (50ºF). And in the summer, temperatures can climb as high as 40ºC (104ºF). But overall, Singapore appears to be hotter throughout the entire year than India is.

Why is Singapore so small?

The rapid increase in population with ineffectual governance from the administration had turned Singapore into a “small island full of the very dreg of the population of south eastern Asia”. It was this situation that had prompted the British to establish the Straits Settlements as a separate Crown Colony in 1867.

Does it snow in Singapore?

Snow City Singapore Snow City’s probably the only place in Singapore where temperatures come close to wintery weather. This OG snowy spot is bringing us a one-of-a-kind snowfall experience every hour, every day.

What’s the coldest month in Singapore?

January

Why is Singapore hotter than New York?

Answer: The main cause of the heat in Singapore is because of its geographical location. It happens to be near the equator, which clearly indicates that the country experiences a tropical climate.

Why is Singapore so cold?

“Cold” weather in Singapore generally comes when there is very thick cloud cover that acts like a sunshade to reduce the amount of sunlight available to heat the earth’s surface, combined with winds being cooled by evaporating rain droplets.

Is it ever cold in Singapore?

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Singapore was 19.4C – the temperature pretty much stays between the mid 20s and low 30s during the daily cycle. Average daily highs vary from 30.0 to 31.7 according to climatic averages posted on Wikipedia – so a 2 degree variation through the entire year.

Why is it so cold March 2020?

Across the far western United States, this means troughing bringing in cooler North Pacific air to the Pacific Northwest and farther south bringing moist air from the neighboring ocean to southern California, increasing the chance for a wetter than average March for southern California and cooler than average …

Which language is mostly spoken in Singapore?

Mandarin

What country owns Singapore?

Singapore became part of Malaysia on 16 September 1963 following a merger with Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak.

Is Singapore expensive to live?

Most expats rent a home in Singapore. It costs about $1,500 to $4,500 to rent a studio apartment or one-bedroom unit in an HDB flat or condo. The big difference in cost depends on property type – HDB flats are cheaper but basic, condo apartments are expensive but swankier and sometimes have gyms/pools.

Are Singaporeans Chinese?

Singapore is a multiracial and multicultural country with ethnic Chinese (76.2% of the citizen population), Malays (15.0%), and ethnic Indians (7.4%). Chinese Singaporeans make up the majority of the population. There are also Eurasians in Singapore. The Malays are recognised as the indigenous community.

1	0   0 The region within the Arctic Circle, or, loosely, northern regions in general, characterized by very low temperatures.

2	0   0 Arctic late 14c., artik, from Old French artique, from Medieval Latin articus, from Latin arcticus, from Greek arktikos «of the north,» literally «of the (constellation) Bear,» from arkto [..]

3	0   0 Arctic region at Earth’s extreme north, encompassed by the Arctic Circle. Read more in the NG Education Encyclopedia

4	0   0 Arctic at or around the North Pole; very cold

5	0   0 Arctic The region within the Arctic Circle, or, loosely, northern regions in general, characterized by very low temperatures. Source: NOAA-NWS.

6	0   0 Arctic The area above the Arctic Circle, between the North Pole and the treelines of North America, Europe and Asia.

7	0   0 Arctic The Arctic

8	0   0 Arctic The region around the Earth’s North Pole, north of the Arctic Circle.

9	0   0 Arctic (n) the regions to the north of the Arctic Circle centered on the North Pole(n) a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow(adj) of or relating to the Arctic(adj) extremely cold

10	0   0 Arctic The area in the extreme north of the northern hemisphere. The southern limit to the Artic is the Artic circle. Parts of the Arctic Ocean are covered in ice all year.

11	0   0 Arctic the polar region in the northern hemisphere

12	0   0 Arctic <programming language> <music> A real-time functional language, used for music synthesis. [«Arctic: A Functional Language for Real-Time Control», R.B. Dannenberg, Conf Record 1984 ACM Symp on LISP and Functional Prog, ACM]. (01 Jan 1995)

13

0   0 Arctic Pertaining to, or situated under, the northern constellation called the Bear; northern; frigid; as, the arctic pole, circle, region, ocean; an arctic expedition, night, temperature. The arctic circle is a lesser circle, parallel to the equator, 23 deg 28′ from the north pole. This and the antarctic circle are called the polar circles, and betw [..]

14	0   0 Arctic The region within the Arctic Circle, or, loosely, northern regions in general, characterized by very low temperatures.

15	0   0 Arctic The region within the Arctic Circle, or, loosely, northern regions in general, characterized by very low temperatures.

16	0   0 Arctic Of or relating to the area around the geographic North Pole, from 90° North to the Arctic Circle at approximately 66 1/2 North latitude.

17	0   0 Arctic Of or relating to the area around the geographic North Pole, from 90 degrees North to the Arctic Circle at approximately 66 1/2 degrees North latitude.

18	0   0 Arctic Of or relating to the area around the geographic North Pole, from 90 degrees North to the Arctic Circle at approximately 66 1/2 degrees North latitude.

19	0   0 Arctic Of or relating to the area around the geographic North Pole, from 90° North to the Arctic Circle at approximately 66 1/2 North latitude

20	0   0 Arctic Of or relating to the area around the geographic North Pole, from 90° North to the Arctic Circle at approximately 66 1/2 North latitude.

21	0   0 Arctic Arctic|lang=en

22	0   0 Arctic (astronomy,now only in compounds) Pertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the pole star. from 14th c. (geography) Pertaining to the northern polar region of the planet, characterised by extr [..]

23	0   0 Arctic Founded in 2001, Arctic was formerly known as Arctic Cooling and today is a manufacturer of computer cooling, electronics, and other computer related peripherals.

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