Arctic Circle

American  

noun

1. an imaginary line drawn parallel to the equator, at 23°28prime; S of the North Pole: between the North Frigid Zone and the North Temperate Zone.

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Arctic Circle British  

noun

1. the imaginary circle round the earth, parallel to the equator, at latitude 66° 32′ N; it marks the northernmost point at which the sun appears above the level of the horizon on the winter solstice

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Arctic Circle Scientific  

/ ärk′tĭk /

1. The parallel of latitude approximately 66°33′ north. It forms the boundary between the North Temperate and North Frigid zones.

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Arctic Circle Cultural  

1. Imaginary circle around the Earth about three-quarters of the way from the equator to the North Pole. North of this line is the “Land of the Midnight Sun,” where the sun never sets on the summer solstice.

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Discover More

The Arctic Circle corresponds to the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere.

Example Sentences

But for the bears, high above the arctic circle, it may seem like the humans are the invaders.

From NewsForKids.net • May 3, 2024

Scandinavia now stands alongside Spain, France and Italy as one of Europe’s major gastro destinations, with Michelin stars being found as far north as Trondheim in Norway, 200 miles south of the arctic circle.

From The Guardian • Feb. 28, 2020

Kieron Bryan: British Journalist Held Without Trial in Russia Video journalist Kieron Bryan was captured while filming a Greenpeace protest in the arctic circle.

From Newsweek • Sep. 27, 2013

"Yes, gone back inside that British arctic circle that you came out of once—to save my life."

From The Messenger by Robins, Elizabeth

The point is emphasized by the prevalence of mosquitoes in the arctic circle and other uninhabited regions.

From The Home Medical Library, Volume V (of VI) by Winslow, Kenelm