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Antarctic

Antarctic

26 5.5
Relating to the area around the South Pole
  • adjective
  • /ænˈtɑrk.tɪk/
translation icon : antártico
  • The only place tourists go is the Antarctic Peninsula.

So just make sure that it's not, you know, Antarctic cold.

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Examples

  • You will have seen news reports about the plight of Arctic and Antarctic wildlife as the polar regions warm up.

  • Once a year, during the mating season, all the male birds gather on the Antarctic beaches, and there, each selects an extraordinary pebble.

  • - Antarctic weather at this time is bad...

  • Morning and welcome to an Antarctic cruise ship.

  • By no fault of their own, women came late to Antarctic adventure, but the different times also present new opportunities.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Of course, all logistic activities on Antarctic land bring some environmental damage.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Scientists emphasize that some Antarctic research addresses issues fundamental to human understanding of the global environment.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The first cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula took place between 1959 and 1962.

    Academic text (1990)
  • So Ernest Shackleton was the British explorer who first went across the Antarctic on foot unsupported.

  • The Antarctic weather can be extremely harsh, with strong winds and freezing temperatures.

Synonyms

south-polar
vsAntarctic
1 7.3

Near the South Pole on Earth

is broader, covering things related to or around the South Pole region

Compounds

A long narrow piece of land in Antarctica that reaches north toward South America

An imaginary line about 66 degrees south that marks the start of the area near the South Pole

A very cold land around the South Pole that has a thick ice cover

A journey to Antarctica to explore and study its land and animals

A cold ocean around Antarctica that people call the Southern Ocean

An area around the South Pole that includes Antarctica and the nearby ocean

How Cold

Antarctic
26 5.5
cold
1.0
cool
65 1.0
temperate
14 3.9

Surface Forms

Antarctic positive

Morphology

Antarctic = arctic (semi-transparent) = anti + arctic

The meaning 'opposite the Arctic' is compositionally clear, but the resulting geographic adjective is a conventional learned term.

Etymology

Antarctic comes from Greek parts anti- 'opposite' and arctic 'bear', because Arctic was named after a star group called the 'Bear' that points north. So Antarctic means 'of or near the South Pole'.