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

Example Sentences

These extremely remote islands about 1,000 miles north of Antarctica consist mostly of barren tundra.

From Salon

Its stated goal is to create herds of what it calls mammoth-like creatures to live in the arctic tundra.

From BBC

The Arctic tundra is being transformed into an overall source of CO2, thanks to warming and frequent fires, according to the US science group NOAA.

From BBC

We tag along with a group from PBI to search for bears on the sub-Arctic tundra - just a few miles from town.

From BBC

The idea of assembling furniture or venturing out into the tundra for sustenance felt cruel.

From Salon

Related Words

• expanse
• prairie
• steppe
• wasteland