Antarctic Circle
1
4.6
- noun
- /ænˈtɑrk.tɪk ˈsɜr.kəl/
:
Círculo Antártico
- When we reached the Antarctic Circle, the temperature dropped to an astonishingly low level.
Only within the former Arctic and Antarctic circles was life tolerable.
- Only within the former Arctic and Antarctic circles was life tolerable.
Examples
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Greenland is better coupled to global temperatures than Antarctica is, and the fulcrum of the temperature swings is near the Antarctic Circle.
Blog text (23) -
Only within the former Arctic and Antarctic circles was life tolerable.
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The research team conducted experiments while stationed near the Antarctic Circle during the summer months.
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Many animals, such as penguins, thrive in regions close to the Antarctic Circle.
Synonyms
1
3.4
An imaginary circle around the Earth parallel to the equator that shows how far north or south a place is
An imaginary horizontal line around the Earth that shows how far north or south a place is
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositional: 'Antarctic' (relating to the South Pole/Antarctica) combined with 'circle' (a circular line) yields a literal meaning — a circular boundary or line associated with Antarctica. While the exact latitude is technical, a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the general geographic/boundary meaning, and similar labels exist in many languages which supports comprehension.
Etymology
Antarctic Circle comes from the idea of an imaginary circle drawn around the Earth near the South Pole, and Antarctic means 'far south'. It marks the start of the cold area around the South Pole, so places south of the Antarctic Circle can have the 'midnight sun' in summer and long dark periods in winter.