Nordic

[nawr-dik]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a Germanic people of northern European origin, exemplified by the Scandinavians.

2. having or suggesting the physical characteristics associated with these people, typically tall stature, blond hair, blue eyes, and elongated head.

3. (sometimes lowercase),  of or relating to skiing events involving ski jumping and cross-country skiing.

noun

1. a member of the Nordic people, especially a Scandinavian.

nordic

¹

/ ˈnɔːdɪk /

adjective

1. skiing of or relating to competitions in cross-country racing and ski-jumping Compare alpine

2. (of recreational walking) incorporating the use of poles that resemble ski poles to aid movement

Nordic

²

/ ˈnɔːdɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to a subdivision of the Caucasoid race typified by the tall blond blue-eyed long-headed inhabitants of N Britain, Scandinavia, N Germany, and the Netherlands

Other Word Forms

• Nordicity noun
• anti-Nordic adjective
• non-Nordic adjective
• pro-Nordic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nordic¹

1895–1900; < French nordique, equivalent to nord north + -ique -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of nordic¹

C19: from French nordique, from nord _north

Example Sentences

Mr Holzapfel at Nordic Air Defence currently works with Sweden and its European allies.

Read more on BBC

Swedish startup Nordic Air Defence is testing highly maneuverable interceptors as light as 9 ounces, designed to smash into drones at up to 170 miles an hour, at altitudes up to around 6,000 feet.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

People can look up locations to get vaccinated through the vaccine’s manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The offer garnered support from around 25.7% of investors, a long way short of the 75% required despite Bavarian Nordic’s management backing the deal.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The temperature was around 93 degrees and the ambient humidity was somewhere between Nordic sauna and Brazilian rainforest.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When To Use

What is Nordic skiing?

Nordic is a classification used to refer to types of skiing, including cross-country skiing and ski jumping.The terms Nordic and Nordic skiing are used in contrast with Alpine and Alpine skiing, which refer to what’s sometimes also called downhill skiing. Alpine events include the downhill, the slalom, the giant slalom, and the super giant slalom (popularly called Super G). Both nordic and alpine are sometimes left uncapitalized.There are multiple Nordic events in the Winter Olympics, including multiple events in both ski jumping (Normal Hill and Large Hill) and cross-country skiing (including sprints and longer distance races, such as the one known as Skiathlon). The event called Nordic Combined features both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.There are also Nordic skiing events in the Paralympic Winter Games.The skis used in Nordic skiing differ from those used in Alpine skiing in shape, size, and structure.Example: Alpine skiing gets a lot of attention during the Olympics, but the Nordic events are also very exciting to watch.