circumpolar

[ sur-kuhm-poh-ler ]

adjective
  1. around or near a pole, as of the earth.

Origin of circumpolar

1
First recorded in 1680–90; circum- + polar

Words Nearby circumpolar

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How to use circumpolar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for circumpolar

circumpolar

/ (ˌsɜːkəmˈpəʊlə) /


adjective
  1. (of a star or constellation) visible above the horizon at all times at a specified locality on the earth's surface

  2. surrounding or located at or near either of the earth's poles

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

Scientific definitions for circumpolar

circumpolar

[ sûr′kəm-pōlər ]


  1. Located or found in one of Earth's polar regions.

  2. Denoting a star that from a given observer's latitude does not go below the horizon during its diurnal motion. The closer an observer is to one of the poles, the greater the portion of the sky that contains circumpolar stars. At the pole itself, all stars are circumpolar.

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