Word Study
arctic
CIDE DICTIONARY
arctic, a. [OE. artik, OF. artique, F. arctique, L. arcticus, fr. Gr. , fr. a bear, also a northern constellation so called; akin to L. ursus bear, Skr. ksha.].
Pertaining to, or situated under, the northern constellation called the Bear; northern; frigid; as, the arctic pole, circle, region, ocean; an arctic expedition, night, temperature. [1913 Webster]
" The arctic circle is a lesser circle, parallel to the equator, 23antarctic circle are called the polar circles , and between these and the poles lie the frigid zones. See Zone . " [1913 Webster]
arctic, n.
- The arctic circle. [1913 Webster]
- A warm waterproof overshoe. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
arctic, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 of the north polar regions.
2 (arctic) colloq. (esp. of weather) very cold.
--n.
1 the Arctic regions.
2 (arctic) US a thick waterproof overshoe.
--adj.
1 of the north polar regions.
2 (arctic) colloq. (esp. of weather) very cold.
--n.
1 the Arctic regions.
2 (arctic) US a thick waterproof overshoe.
Idiom
Arctic Circle the parallel of latitude 66° 33' N, forming an imaginary line round this region.
Etymology
ME f. OF artique f. L ar(c)ticus f. Gk arktikos f. arktos bear, Ursa Major
THESAURUS
arctic
Siberian, aestival, affectless, algid, anesthetized, antarctic, austral, autistic, autumn, autumnal, below zero, biting, bitter, bitterly cold, bleak, blunt, boreal, brisk, brumal, canicular, catatonic, chill, chilly, cold, cold as charity, cold as death, cold as ice, cold as marble, cold-blooded, coldhearted, cool, crisp, cutting, dispassionate, drugged, dull, east, eastbound, easterly, eastermost, eastern, easternmost, emotionally dead, emotionless, equinoctial, freezing, freezing cold, frigid, frosted, frosty, frozen, gelid, glacial, heartless, hibernal, hiemal, hyperborean, ice-cold, ice-encrusted, icelike, icy, immovable, impassible, impassive, inclement, inexcitable, insusceptible, keen, meridional, midsummer, midwinter, nipping, nippy, nonemotional, north, northbound, northeast, northeasterly, northeastern, northerly, northern, northernmost, northwest, northwesterly, northwestern, numbing, objective, obtuse, occidental, oriental, out of season, out of touch, passionless, penetrating, piercing, pinching, raw, rigorous, seasonal, self-absorbed, severe, sharp, sleety, slushy, snappy, solstitial, soulless, south, southbound, southeast, southeasterly, southeastern, southerly, southern, southernmost, southwest, southwesterly, southwestern, spiritless, spring, springlike, stone-cold, subzero, summer, summerlike, summerly, summery, supercooled, unaffectionate, unemotional, unfeeling, unimpassioned, unimpressionable, unloving, unpassionate, unresponding, unresponsive, unsusceptible, unsympathetic, untouchable, vernal, west, westbound, westerly, western, westernmost, winter, winterbound, winterlike, wintery, wintryROGET THESAURUS
arctic
Contraposition
N contraposition, opposition, polarity, inversion, opposite side, reverse, inverse, counterpart, antipodes, opposite poles, North and South, antonym, opposite (contrariety), opposite, reverse, inverse, converse, antipodal, subcontrary, fronting, facing, diametrically opposite, Northern, septentrional, Boreal, arctic, Southern, Austral, antarctic, over, over the way, over against, against, face to face, vis-a- vis, as poles asunder.Cold
N cold, coldness, frigidity, inclemency, fresco, winter, depth of winter, hard winter, Siberia, Nova Zembla, wind- chill factor, ice, snow, snowflake, snow crystal, snow drift, sleet, hail, hailstone, rime, frost, hoar frost, white frost, hard frost, sharp frost, barf, glaze, lolly, icicle, thick-ribbed ice, fall of snow, heavy fall, iceberg, icefloe, floe berg, glacier, nev_ee, serac, pruina, freezing mixture, dry ice, liquid nitrogen, liquid helium, chilliness, chill, shivering, goose skin, horripilation, rigor, chattering of teeth, numbness, frostbite, cold, cool, chill, chilly, icy, gelid, frigid, algid, fresh, keen, bleak, raw, inclement, bitter, biting, niveous, cutting, nipping, piercing, pinching, clay-cold, starved, chilled to the bone, shivering, aguish, transi de froid, frostbitten, frost-bound, frost-nipped, cold as a stone, cold as marble, cold as lead, cold as iron, cold as a frog, cold as charity, cold as Christmas, cool as a cucumber, cool as custard, icy, glacial, frosty, freezing, pruinose, wintry, brumal, hibernal, boreal, arctic, Siberian, hyemal, hyperborean, hyperboreal, icebound, frozen out, unwarmed, unthawed, lukewarm, tepid, isocheimal, isocheimenal, isocheimic, frozen, numb, frost-bitten, coldly, bitterly, pierre fendre.For further exploring for "arctic" in Webster Dictionary Online