tundra

American  

[tuhn-druh, toon-] / ˈtʌn drə, ˈtʊn- /

noun

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

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tundra British  

/ 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

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tundra Scientific  

/ 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.

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tundra Cultural  

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

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Discover More

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.

Etymology

Origin of tundra

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”

Compare meaning

How does tundra compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• taiga vs. tundra

Explanation

The tundra is a vast treeless plain near the Arctic Circle where the subsoil is permanently frozen. Despite the stark cold, many animals thrive on the tundra, including insects, migrating birds, and foxes. A tundra is a great description of any stark icy cold place — say, the walk to class on a college campus during February — but it is an actual geographic location, near the Arctic circle in North America, Russia, and Scandinavia. Smaller tundras can exist near the South Pole but it's often too cold there. The word comes from the Finnish tunturria which means "barren land." Santa's reindeer live on the tundra and go by the name of caribou in North America. Of course, none of them can fly.

Example Sentences

Rodriguez, the department’s deputy director, said Tundra could not be kenneled with other dogs and the shelter was full, so he was euthanized.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2023

In 2020, it began to sell a lower cost option, called Tundra, that operates at 100 KeV.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 26, 2023

Toyota also offers a hybrid system in its Tundra large pickups.

From Reuters • Sep. 13, 2023

Tuesday evening, the Lynnwood Police Department asked anyone who recently saw or has information about a silver 2012 Toyota Tundra to contact detectives at 425-670-5633.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 6, 2023

Owen’s parents were the owners and operators of Tundra Treks, a company that took people to see polar bears in the frozen wilderness outside Churchill, Manitoba.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• expanse
• prairie
• steppe
• wasteland