Spitsbergen

or Spitz·ber·gen

[ spits-bur-guhn ]

/ ˈspɪtsˌbɜr gən /

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noun

a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean, N of and belonging to Norway. 24,293 sq. mi. (62,920 sq. km).

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Norwegian Svalbard.

Words nearby Spitsbergen

spite fence, spiteful, spitfire, Spithead, spit in the ocean, Spitsbergen, spit-shine, spitsticker, spit take, Spitteler, spitter

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

How to use Spitsbergen in a sentence

I’ve gone to the islands of Spitsbergen, which is north of Norway, where there’s very high latitude water springs coming through permafrost, which is very interesting—how you get liquid water at those cold temperatures.
NASA Is on the Cusp of a New Era - Issue 108: Change|Brian Gallagher|December 8, 2021|Nautilus
On this occasion he had two ships, and on the outward journey sighted Bear Island and Spitsbergen, where the ships separated.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3|Various
Whatever happened, we should have been at Spitsbergen, and I was in no humor to yield to anything but the most absolute proof.
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth|Jules Verne
In the Faroe Islands it has occurred as a passing visitor and has also been recorded from Spitsbergen.
Life Histories of North American Shore Birds, Part 1 (of 2)|Arthur Cleveland Bent

In 1878 we were compelled to winter on the north-western coast of Spitsbergen.
Nightmare Tales|H. P. Blavatsky
I have described examples of it in Spitsbergen and the Andes which need not be quoted here.
The Alps|Martin Conway

British Dictionary definitions for Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen

/ (ˈspɪtsˌbɜːɡən) /

noun

another name for Svalbard

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