polar bear

American  

noun

1. a large white bear, Ursus maritimus, of the Arctic regions.

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polar bear British  

noun

1. a white carnivorous bear, Thalarctos maritimus, of coastal regions of the North Pole

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Etymology

Origin of polar bear

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

Don’t miss the Tropical Rainforest Aviary for free-flight birds or the Arctic Passage, where you can watch polar bears and seals swim underwater.

From Salon

A mother polar bear and her three cubs pause after a long journey along the Hudson Bay coast.

From BBC

Many species, including polar bears in the Arctic and emperor penguins in Antarctica, rely on sea ice to breed and feed.

From Barron's

Already gathered in front of the polar bear and the puffin were Magic, Handsome, and Twitch.

From Literature

Rana likes to follow polar bear tracks and listen to her mother’s stories: “Stories about the old ice, the long long polar night, the Great Bear and how snow foxes make light with their tails.”

From The Wall Street Journal