arctic

CEFRC1

/ˈɑrktɪk/

adjective · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Relating to the cold northern region around the North Pole.

  2. 02

    noun

    The region around the North Pole.

Examples

  • Are there many arctic foxes in the tundra?

  • Cape Dezhnev is 30 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
2
Citations
2

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Pertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the pole star.

  2. Alternative letter-case form of Arctic.

More examples

In context

  • Polar bears live in the Arctic.

  • What neede the artick people loue star-light, To whom the sunne shines both by day and night.

  • […] 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.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The blank expedition encountered temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees.

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Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Middle English artik, artyk (with -c- reintroduced after Latin in the 17th century), from Medieval Latin articus, 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 with Latin ursus.