subarctic

American  

[suhb-ahrk-tik, -ahr-tik] / sʌbˈɑrk tɪk, -ˈɑr tɪk /

Sometimes sub-Arctic

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, similar to, or being the region immediately south of the Arctic Circle; subpolar.

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subarctic British  

/ sʌbˈɑːktɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to latitudes immediately south of the Arctic Circle

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subarctic Scientific  

/ sŭb′-ärk′tĭk,-är′tĭk /

1. Relating to the geographic area just south of the Arctic Circle. The subarctic region is the coldest part of the North Temperate Zone, characterized by warm but very brief summers, and bitterly cold winters. Little vegetation exists in this climate, as temperatures are extreme, ranging from below −30°C (−22°F) in the winter and as warm as 30°C (86°F) in the summer.

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Etymology

Origin of subarctic

First recorded in 1850–55; sub- + Arctic

Example Sentences

In this study, the researchers visited a subarctic grassland in Iceland that has undergone over half a century of geothermal warming, resulting in elevated soil temperatures compared to surrounding areas.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2024

Calendula is cultivated in gardens worldwide from subarctic regions to the tropics.

From National Geographic • Feb. 7, 2024

They usually reside in Arctic and subarctic latitudes — and, when venturing south, they stick to high altitudes — because they rely on snowfall to survive.

From Salon • Dec. 1, 2023

In June, a fire got close to the subarctic, mostly indigenous hamlet of Fort Chipewyan, in northern Alberta.

From Washington Times • Nov. 9, 2023

They were still flying over subarctic taiga, a seemingly endless landscape of conifer forest—in English this is sometimes called “snow forest.”

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein