Etymology
From Arctic Ancient Greek ἀρκτικός (arktikos) "of the bear, northern," a reference to the northerly constellation Ursa Major from ἄρκτος (arktos) "bear."
Pronunciation
- /ˈɑːktɪk/
- /ˈɑɹktɪk/
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.
Adjective
Arctic (not comparable)
- Being extremely cold, snowy, or having other properties of extreme winter associated with the Arctic.
- The food was kept very fresh by the arctic temperature setting of the freezer.
Proper noun
Arctic
- (obsolete) The north celestial pole. [fifteenth–seventeenth centuries]
- (geography) The region of the Earth above the Arctic Circle, containing the North Pole. [from seventeenth century]
Derived terms
Credits
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