South Pole
Americannoun
-
Geography. the southern end of the earth's axis, the southernmost point on earth.
-
Astronomy. the point at which the axis of the earth extended cuts the southern half of the celestial sphere; the south celestial pole.
-
(lowercase) the pole of a magnet that seeks the earth's south magnetic pole.
-
(lowercase) magnetic pole1
noun
-
the southernmost point on the earth's axis, at the latitude of 90°S
-
astronomy the point of intersection, in the constellation Octans, of the earth's extended axis and the southern half of the celestial sphere
-
(usually not capitals) the south-seeking pole of a freely suspended magnet
-
The southern end of the Earth's axis of rotation, located at 90° south latitude at a point in Antarctica.
-
See more at axis
Etymology
Origin of South Pole
1585–95, South Pole for def. 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The findings suggest that even a landing near the moon's South Pole could send methane molecules "hopping" across the lunar surface to the North Pole in less than two lunar days.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
The Moon's South Pole is particularly appealing because frozen water could be used for drinking water or to produce oxygen.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Beijing is also targeting the lunar South Pole, not least for its rich natural resource potential.
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
The problem is that rhumb lines aren’t lines; they’re spirals that wind toward the North or South Pole.
From Slate ● Jan. 21, 2026
But under the South Pole lies a continent that supports glaciers up to two miles in depth.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.