taiga

American  

[tahy-guh, tahy-gah] / ˈtaɪ gə, taɪˈgɑ /

noun

1. the coniferous evergreen forests of subarctic lands, covering vast areas of northern North America and Eurasia.

---

taiga British  

/ ˈtaɪɡə /

noun

1. the coniferous forests extending across much of subarctic North America and Eurasia, bordered by tundra to the north and steppe to the south

---

taiga Scientific  

/ tī′gə /

1. A forest located in the Earth's far northern regions, consisting mainly of cone-bearing evergreens, such as firs, pines, and spruces, and some deciduous trees, such as larches, birches, and aspens. The taiga is found just south of the tundra.

---

Etymology

Origin of taiga

First recorded in 1885–90; from Russian taĭgá, from one or more Turkic languages of the Altai Mountain region; compare Altai, Shor tayγa “forest-covered mountain”

Compare meaning

How does taiga compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• taiga vs. tundra

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

taiga

Using a drone, Alexey Kharitonov captures the rapid transition from summer to winter across taiga forests and Arctic tundra.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025

The boreal region, also known as the taiga, serves as an immense global carbon reservoir.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2024

In Siberia, the abundant resources provided by the taiga may help explain the complexity reflected in the forts.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 29, 2023

Its boreal - or "taiga" - forests of mainly birch, pine, spruce and fir are the world's largest forest region, covering an area about four times the size of India.

From Reuters ● Aug. 9, 2023

Alone by herself in the taiga, she heard the echoes of her companions’ gunshots.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein