Antarctica

American  

[ant-ahrk-ti-kuh, -ahr-ti-] / æntˈɑrk tɪ kə, -ˈɑr tɪ- /

noun

1. the continent surrounding the South Pole: almost entirely covered by an ice sheet. About 5,000,000 sq. mi. (12,950,000 sq. km).

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Antarctica British  

/ æntˈɑːktɪkə /

noun

1. a continent around the South Pole: consists of an ice-covered plateau, 1800–3000 m (6000 ft to 10 000 ft) above sea level, and mountain ranges rising to 4500 m (15 000 ft) with some volcanic peaks; average temperatures all below freezing and human settlement is confined to research stations. All political claims to the mainland are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty of 1959

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Antarctica Cultural  

1. Continent surrounding the South Pole, located almost entirely within the Antarctic Circle. It is covered by an ice cap up to thirteen thousand feet thick.

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Antarctica is characterized by extremely low temperatures.

In 1911, Roald Amundsen became the first explorer to reach the South Pole, followed shortly thereafter by Robert Scott.

Example Sentences

The octopus appears to be the runt of the Megaleledonidae family, whose members are normally much larger and live in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Quickly, the closely held Oceanwide focused its operations mainly on the polar regions, visiting destinations such as Greenland, the Falkland Islands and Antarctica.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Scientists say the Southern Ocean storm track has gradually shifted closer to Antarctica over time, and this larger shift is now influencing the island's weather.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

The voyage was marketed for explorers eager to venture to “the edges of the map,” from Antarctica to some of the most remote islands in the world.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

I know it sounds silly, but to me this was like the equivalent of him going to Antarctica and back to bring me a feather from a penguin’s butt.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling