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• boreal
  boreal

  adjective

  of or relating to the north wind.
• Boreal
  Boreal

  adjective

  of or denoting the coniferous forests in the north of the N hemisphere

boreal

American  

[bawr-ee-uhl, bohr‑] / ˈbɔr i əl, ˈboʊr‑ /

adjective

1. of or relating to the north wind.

2. of or relating to the north.

3. (sometimes initial capital letter) pertaining to Boreas.

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boreal ¹ British  

/ ˈbɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the north or the north wind

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Boreal ² British  

/ ˈbɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or denoting the coniferous forests in the north of the N hemisphere

2. designating a climatic zone having snowy winters and short summers

3. designating a dry climatic period from about 7500 to 5500 _bc , characterized by cold winters, warm summers, and a flora dominated by pines and hazels

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boreal Scientific  

/ bôr′ē-əl /

1. Relating to the north or to northern areas.

2. Relating to the north wind.

3. Relating to the forest areas of the Northern Temperate Zone that are dominated by coniferous trees such as spruce, fir, and pine.

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Etymology

Origin of boreal

1425–75; late Middle English boriall < Late Latin boreālis northern ( Latin bore(ās) Boreas + -ālis -al ¹ )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boreal Boreal

In many boreal regions, flames can spread downward into thick layers of carbon rich soil beneath the forest floor.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2026

They include the rainforests of the Amazon and the Congo basin, the boreal forests of Russia and Canada, the coral reefs and mangroves of South East Asia, and the Himalayas.

From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2026

The global average temperature in June, July and August — known as the boreal summer in the Northern hemisphere — was a record-breaking 62.24 degrees, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2024

The puzzle game Lorelei and the Laser Eyes opens with the protagonist — a well-dressed woman with the solemnity of a catwalk model — inside a forest where boreal owls roam.

From New York Times ● May 15, 2024

He is Frank Volkheimer, an upperclassman, seventeen years old, a colossal boy from some boreal village, a legend among the younger cadets.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

But El Nino's warm water can fuel cyclones in the central and eastern Pacific during the Boreal summer.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Norwegian public transport operator Boreal ordered 20 of the hydrofoiling electric passenger boats to service new and existing routes along the Norwegian coast and across the country’s fjords.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

Experts from the nearby Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and the Alder Creek Adventure Center are also attempting to reach the site.

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026

“Being able to work from my apartment, an airport, an airplane, hell, the Boreal Forest, is one of the reasons I'm as successful as I am.”

From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2025

“But what about Lord Boreal? Sir Charles? He was healthy enough, wasn’t he?”

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman