arctic
n. countablen. the very cold area around the North Pole. It includes the ocean and the land of several countries like Canada and Russia.
n. the northernmost region of the Earth, consisting of the Arctic Ocean and parts of surrounding landmasses. Usually capitalised; often used to refer to the area within the Arctic Circle.
Polar bears live in the Arctic.
Scientists travel to the Arctic every summer to study how the melting ice affects global sea levels.
The geopolitical importance of the Arctic has increased significantly as receding ice opens new maritime trade routes and provides access to previously unreachable natural resources.
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.
Usually preceded by the definite article 'the' and capitalised.
He lives in Arctic.He lives in the Arctic.When referring to the geographical region, the noun requires the definite article 'the'.