arctic

1 of 2

adjective

1
often capitalized : of, relating to, or suitable for use at the north pole or the region near it
arctic waters
arctic animals
arctic clothing
2
a
: bitter cold : frigid
arctic air
b
: cold in temper or mood
an arctic smile
arctically
ˈärk-ti-k(ə-)lē
ˈär-ti- How to pronounce arctic (audio)
adverb

arctic

2 of 2

noun

: a rubber overshoe reaching to the ankle or above

Examples of arctic in a Sentence

Adjective The group is involved in Arctic exploration. the arctic air of deep winter
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Then, around midnight Wednesday, a strong arctic cold front from Canada will push through, bringing a quick drop in temps, even colder windchills, windy conditions and a chance of light snow through Wednesday morning. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2024 Light snow showers ended Monday night, but an arctic cold front is expected to linger in Louisville, according to the National Weather Service. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 While a brutal and deadly winter storm appears to have finished dumping snow across much of the northeastern U.S., the eastern two-thirds of the country isn't done with arctic temperatures just yet, forecasters said Saturday. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024 Bitterly cold temperatures that gripped large parts of the U.S., including areas unaccustomed to them, began to ease Wednesday — but another arctic blast is forecast for later this week. NBC News, 18 Jan. 2024 Colorado Springs had a high temperature of only 8 degrees Saturday morning as an arctic cold blast swept through the state Friday night. Jacob Factor, The Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2024 Next weekend's weather forecast has the makings of another arctic blast hitting much of the country, though not as powerfully as the one still causing shivers to most Americans. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Watch Yellowjackets on Paramount+ with Showtime Dark Winds While Dark Winds trades in Night Country's arctic setting for the Southwestern frontier, thrilling crime elements remain. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024 Below-freezing temperatures and arctic wind chills sweep the rest of the country stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest, Reuters also reported. Stella Shon, Travel + Leisure, 13 Feb. 2024
Noun
This riven Martian arctic was a mystery to scientists for over forty years. Joseph Calamia, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019 None of these features have been discovered or reported in the Alaskan or Canadian arctic, according to Susan Natali, the Arctic program director at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, who is using satellite data to try to identify and map craters that haven't been seen with human eyes. Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Sep. 2020 Researchers have found wood from those trees preserved in frozen riverbanks and other places, and have written that forests in the high arctic were probably similar to those in the Pacific Northwest today. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Jan. 2022 Scientists expressed grave concerns about the increasing frequency of the fires brought about by climate change in the Siberian arctic. Heather Chen, CNN, 16 Jan. 2023 How much more time will that buy the arctic grayling? Noah Davis, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2022 As climate change brings us closer to an ice-free arctic, this group of polar bears may help scientists understand how the species may persist. Tulika Bose, Scientific American, 22 July 2022 This remote part of the Russian arctic used to be home to a meteorological station, but humans have long since abandoned it. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 19 Jan. 2022 The brutal arctic outburst that caused Texas’ power grid to fail and the heat wave in the Pacific Northwest last June account for many of the new records. New York Times, 11 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arctic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English artik, from Latin arcticus, from Greek arktikos, from arktos bear, Ursa Major, north; akin to Latin ursus bear, Sanskrit ṛkṣa

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arctic was circa 1540

Dictionary Entries Near arctic

Cite this Entry

“Arctic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arctic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

arctic

1 of 2 adjective
1
often capitalized : of, relating to, or suitable for use at the north pole or the region around it
arctic waters
arctic animals
arctic clothing
2
: very cold : frigid

arctic

2 of 2 noun
: a rubber overshoe : galosh
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English artik "arctic," derived from Greek arktikos "arctic," from Arktos "the Bear," name of the most easily recognizable constellation near the north pole of the sky

More from Merriam-Webster on arctic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!