permafrost

[ pur-muh-frawst, -frost ]

/ ˈpɜr məˌfrɔst, -ˌfrɒst /

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noun

(in Arctic or subarctic regions) perennially frozen subsoil.

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Also called pergelisol.

Origin of permafrost

First recorded in 1943; perma(nent) + frost

Words nearby permafrost

perlucidus, perm, perma-, permaculture, permadeath, permafrost, permafrost table, permalink, Permalloy, permanence, permanency

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use permafrost in a sentence

Though DNA degrades into shorter strings of genetic material over time, making it difficult to handle and piece together, cold permafrost helps to protect genetic information from rapidly falling apart.
The oldest animal DNA ever recovered reveals mammoths’ evolution|Erin Garcia de Jesus|February 17, 2021|Science News
The most loving thing I ever saw my father do for my mother was getting up before dawn in the permafrost of February to warm up her car.
A Love Letter For All the Days After Valentine's Day|Susanna Schrobsdorff|February 14, 2021|Time
Thawing that permafrost will now release a large share of that carbon into the air, she adds, “which can create additional climate change.”
Busy beavers may be speeding thaw of Arctic permafrost|Kathiann Kowalski|August 31, 2020|Science News For Students
“The amount of carbon that is stored in permafrost is immense,” Neilson notes.
Busy beavers may be speeding thaw of Arctic permafrost|Kathiann Kowalski|August 31, 2020|Science News For Students

Sagging permafrost led to the tank spilling oil, which polluted the Ambarnaya River.
Siberian heat wave that caused an oil spill made more likely by climate change|Carolyn Gramling|August 13, 2020|Science News For Students
I was sitting so low, even the permafrost-stunted spruce trees towered over me.
Visiting the Arctic Circle…Before It’s Irreversibly Changed|Terry Greene Sterling|April 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I wondered what would happen to the trees if some of the permafrost melted, allowing roots to expand in longer growing seasons.
Visiting the Arctic Circle…Before It’s Irreversibly Changed|Terry Greene Sterling|April 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The reason: frozen permafrost that once contained the lake water (like cement contains a swimming pool) had melted.
Visiting the Arctic Circle…Before It’s Irreversibly Changed|Terry Greene Sterling|April 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for permafrost

permafrost

/ (ˈpɜːməˌfrɒst) /

noun

ground that is permanently frozen, often to great depths, the surface sometimes thawing in the summer

Word Origin for permafrost

C20: from perma (nent) + frost

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 permafrost

permafrost

[ pûr′mə-frôst′ ]

A layer of soil or bedrock that has been continuously frozen for at least two years and as long as tens of thousands of years. Permafrost can reach depths of up to 1,524 m (4,999 ft). It is found throughout most of the polar regions and underlies about one fifth of the Earth's land surface.

permafrost

Origin of permafrost

Words nearby permafrost

Words related to permafrost

How to use permafrost in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for permafrost

Word Origin for permafrost

Scientific definitions for permafrost