Arctic - Definitions from Dictionary.com

15 results for: Arctic

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

arc·tic

Audio Help [ahrk-tik or, esp. for 7, ahr-tik] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	(often initial capital letter) 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.	suitable for use in the arctic: arctic boots.

5.	extremely cold in manner, atmosphere, etc.: a look of arctic disdain.

–noun

6.	(often initial capital letter) the region lying north of the Arctic Circle or of the northernmost limit of tree growth; the polar area north of the timber line.

7.	arctics, warm, waterproof overshoes.

[Origin: 1350–1400; < L arcticus < Gk arktikós northern, lit., of the Bear, equiv. to árkt(os) bear (see Ursa Major) + -ikos -ic; r. ME artik < MF artique < L

]

—Related forms

arc·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Arctic

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

arc·tic Audio Help   (ärk'tĭk, är'tĭk) Pronunciation Key
adj.   Extremely cold; frigid. See Synonyms at cold.

n.   A warm waterproof overshoe.

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

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Arc·tic Audio Help (ärk'tĭk, är'tĭk) Pronunciation Key
A region between the North Pole and the northern timberlines of North America and Eurasia.

Arc'tic adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Arctic

c.1391, artik, from O.Fr. artique, from M.L. articus, from L. arcticus, from Gk. arktikos "of the north," lit. "of the (constellation) Bear," from arktos "bear," the Bear being a northerly constellation. From the usual I.E. base for "bear" (cf. Avestan aresho, Arm. arj, Alb. ari, L. ursus, Welsh arth); see bear (n.) for why the name changed in Gmc. The -c- was restored 1556. Arctic Circle (66 degrees 32 minutes north), first attested 1556, is that inside which the Great Bear never sets.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

arctic
adjective
1.	of or relating to the Arctic; "the Arctic summer" [syn: north-polar]
2.	extremely cold; "an arctic climate"; "a frigid day"; "gelid waters of the North Atlantic"; "glacial winds"; "icy hands"; "polar weather"
noun
1.	the regions to the north of the Arctic Circle centered on the North Pole
2.	a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Arctic1 [ˈaːktik] adjective

of the area round the North Pole
Example: the Arctic wilderness

Arabic:	قُطْبي، مَنْسوب إلى القُطْب الشَّمالي
Chinese (Simplified):	北极的
Chinese (Traditional):	北極的
Czech:	arktický
Danish:	arktisk; nordpols-
Dutch:	noordpool-
Estonian:	arktiline
Finnish:	arktinen
French:	arctique
German:	arktisch
Greek:	Αρκτικός
Hungarian:	északi-sarki
Icelandic:	norðurskauts-
Indonesian:	Kutub Utara, Arktik
Italian:	artico

Japanese:	北極の
Korean:	북극의
Latvian:	arktisks; ziemeļu-
Lithuanian:	Arkties, arktinis
Norwegian:	arktisk, nordpols-
Polish:	arktyczny
Portuguese (Brazil):	ártico
Portuguese (Portugal):	árctico
Romanian:	arctic
Russian:	арктический
Slovak:	arktický
Slovenian:	arktičen
Spanish:	ártico
Swedish:	arktisk, nordpols-
Turkish:	Kuzey Kutbuna ait

Arctic2 [ˈaːktik] adjective

(no capital) very cold
Example: arctic conditions

Arabic:	قُطْبي
Chinese (Simplified):	极冷的
Chinese (Traditional):	極冷的
Czech:	ledový
Danish:	arktisk; hundekoldt
Dutch:	ijskoud
Estonian:	arktiline
Finnish:	jäätävä
French:	glacial
German:	arktisch
Greek:	αρκτικός, πολικός
Hungarian:	sarkvidéki (hideg)
Icelandic:	ískaldur
Indonesian:	dingin sekali
Italian:	polare

Japanese:	極寒の
Korean:	극한(極限)의
Latvian:	stindzinošs
Lithuanian:	arktinis, atšiaurus
Norwegian:	arktisk, iskald
Polish:	arktyczny
Portuguese (Brazil):	glacial
Romanian:	arctic, polar
Russian:	арктический
Slovak:	ľadový
Slovenian:	leden, polaren
Spanish:	glacial, gélido
Swedish:	arktisk
Turkish:	çok soğuk, buz gibi

See also: the Arctic

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
Arctic

Region in the northernmost area of the Earth, centered on the North Pole.

Note: The weather of the Arctic is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers.

Note: 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.

[Chapter:] World Geography

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

Arctic 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].
(1995-01-16)

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Arctic Village, AK (CDP, FIPS 3990) Location: 68.12525 N, 145.52691 W
Population (1990): 96 (50 housing units)
Area: 173.7 sq km (land), 13.1 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 99722

Northwest Arctic, AK (Borough, FIPS 188) Location: 67.00068 N, 159.99817 W
Population (1990): 6113 (1998 housing units)
Area: 92883.8 sq km (land), 12428.1 sq km (water)

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Arctic

Ant*arc"tic\, a. [OE. antartik, OF. antartique, F. antarctique, L. antarcticus, fr. Gr. ?; ? + ? bear. See Arctic.] Opposite to the northern or arctic pole; relating to the southern pole or to the region near it, and applied especially to a circle, distant from the pole 23[deg] 28[min]. Thus we say the antarctic pole, circle, ocean, region, current, etc.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Arctic

Arc"tic\, a. [OE. artik, OF. artique, F. arctique, L. arcticus, fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? a bear, also a northern constellation so called; akin to L. ursus bear, Skr. ?ksha.] 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.

Note: 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 between these and the poles lie the frigid zones. See Zone.

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ARCTIC

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On-line Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

arctic

arctic: in CancerWEB's On-line Medical Dictionary

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