po·lar

[poh-ler]
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to the North or South Pole.
2.
of or pertaining to the pole of any sphere, a magnet, an electric cell, etc.
3.
opposite in character or action: The two have personalities that are polar.
4.
capable of ionizing, as NaCl, HCl, or NaOH; electrolytic; heteropolar.
5.
central; pivotal: the polar provision of the treaty.
6.
analogous to the polestar as a guide; guiding: a polar precept.
Origin:
1545–55; < Medieval Latin polāris. See pole2, -ar1

Related forms
an·ti·po·lar, adjective
trans·po·lar, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
polar (ˈpəʊlə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  situated at or near, coming from, or relating to either of the earth's poles or the area inside the Arctic or Antarctic Circles: polar regions
2.  having or relating to a pole or poles
3.  pivotal or guiding in the manner of the Pole Star
4.  directly opposite, as in tendency or character
5.  chem
 a.  Also: heteropolar (of a molecule or compound) being or having a molecule in which there is an uneven distribution of electrons and thus a permanent dipole moment: water has polar molecules
 b.  (of a crystal or substance) being or having a crystal that is bound by ionic bonds: sodium chloride forms polar crystals

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

polar
1550s, from M.L. polaris, from L. polus (see pole (2)). Meaning "directly opposite in character or tendency" is attested from 1832. Polar bear first recorded 1781.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

polar po·lar (pō'lər)
adj.

  1. Of or relating to a pole.

  2. Having poles. Used of certain nerve cells having one or more processes.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
polar   (pō'lər)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Relating to a pole, such as the pole of a magnet or one of the electrodes of an electrolytic cell.

  2. Relating to the North Pole or the South Pole of Earth, or analogous regions of another planet.

  3. Relating to a molecule or substance that has polar bonds.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
POLAR
Polar Plasma Laboratory
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
The region appears heavily cratered, particularly in the north and south polar
  regions.
It was a polar-orbiting satellite, moving steadily from south to north, that
  didn't appear on the heavens-above website.
Talk diversity all you want, but also respect the rights of others whose views
  are the polar opposites of yours.
That's why the image of the polar bear drowning as its icebergs melt is such a
  good messenger for the dangers of global warming.
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