tundra

[ tuhn-druh, toon- ]

noun

1. one of the vast, nearly level, treeless plains of the Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America.

tundra

/ ˈtʌndrə /

noun

1. 1. a vast treeless zone lying between the ice cap and the timberline of North America and Eurasia and having a permanently frozen subsoil
   2. ( as modifier )

      tundra vegetation

tundra

/ tŭn′drə /

1. A cold, treeless, usually lowland area of far northern regions. The lower strata of soil of tundras are permanently frozen, but in summer the top layer of soil thaws and can support low-growing mosses, lichens, grasses, and small shrubs.

tundra

1. A land area near the North Pole where the soil is permanently frozen a few feet underground.

Notes

There are no trees on the tundra: the vegetation is primarily lichens and mosses.

Tundra is widespread in Lapland and in the far northern portions of Alaska , Canada , and the Soviet Union .

Word History and Origins

Origin of tundra¹

First recorded in 1840–45; from Russian túndra, from Sami tundar “hill”; compare Kola Sami tūndar “flat elevated area”; akin to Finnish tunturi “Arctic hill”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tundra¹

C19: from Russian, from Lapp tundar hill; related to Finnish tunturi treeless hill

Related Words

• expanse
• prairie
• steppe
• wasteland