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boreal

[ bawr-ee-uh l, bohr‐ ]
/ ˈbɔr i əl, ˈboʊr‐ /
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adjective

of or relating to the north wind.
of or relating to the north.
(sometimes initial capital letter) pertaining to Boreas.

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RELATED WORDS

arctic, freezing, frosty, glacial, icy, polar

Nearby words

  1. bordet-gengou bacillus,
  2. bordetella,
  3. bordure,
  4. bore,
  5. bore to death,
  6. borealis,
  7. boreas,
  8. borecole,
  9. bored,
  10. boredom

Origin of boreal

1425–75; late Middle English boriall < Late Latin boreālis northern (Latin bore(ās) Boreas + -ālis -al1)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for boreal

British Dictionary definitions for boreal (1 of 2)

boreal

/ (ˈbɔːrɪəl) /

adjective

of or relating to the north or the north wind

Word Origin for boreal

C15: from Latin boreās the north wind

British Dictionary definitions for boreal (2 of 2)

Boreal

/ (ˈbɔːrɪəl) /

adjective

of or denoting the coniferous forests in the north of the N hemisphere
designating a climatic zone having snowy winters and short summers
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for boreal

boreal

adj.

"northern," late 15c., from Latin borealis, from boreas "north wind," from Greek Boreas, name of the god of the north wind, of unknown origin, perhaps related to words in Balto-Slavic for "mountain" and "forest."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Science definitions for boreal

boreal

[ bôr′ē-əl ]

Relating to the north or to northern areas.
Relating to the north wind.
Relating to the forest areas of the Northern Temperate Zone that are dominated by coniferous trees such as spruce, fir, and pine.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.