tundra

American  

[tuhn-druh, toon-] / ˈtʌn drə, ˈtʊn- /

noun

1. one of the vast, nearly level, treeless plains of the Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America.

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tundra British  

/ ˈtʌndrə /

noun

1. 1. a vast treeless zone lying between the ice cap and the timberline of North America and Eurasia and having a permanently frozen subsoil

   2. ( as modifier )

      tundra vegetation

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tundra Scientific  

/ tŭn′drə /

1. A cold, treeless, usually lowland area of far northern regions. The lower strata of soil of tundras are permanently frozen, but in summer the top layer of soil thaws and can support low-growing mosses, lichens, grasses, and small shrubs.

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tundra Cultural  

1. A land area near the North Pole where the soil is permanently frozen a few feet underground.

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Discover More

There are no trees on the tundra: the vegetation is primarily lichens and mosses.

Tundra is widespread in Lapland and in the far northern portions of Alaska, Canada, and the Soviet Union.

Etymology

Origin of tundra

First recorded in 1840–45; from Russian túndra, from Sami tundar “hill”; compare Kola Sami tūndar “flat elevated area”; akin to Finnish tunturi “Arctic hill”

Compare meaning

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

• taiga vs. tundra

Explanation

The tundra is a vast treeless plain near the Arctic Circle where the subsoil is permanently frozen. Despite the stark cold, many animals thrive on the tundra, including insects, migrating birds, and foxes. A tundra is a great description of any stark icy cold place — say, the walk to class on a college campus during February — but it is an actual geographic location, near the Arctic circle in North America, Russia, and Scandinavia. Smaller tundras can exist near the South Pole but it's often too cold there. The word comes from the Finnish tunturria which means "barren land." Santa's reindeer live on the tundra and go by the name of caribou in North America. Of course, none of them can fly.

Example Sentences

Hockey was a bruising, inelegant sport played in the frozen tundra of Canada and the upper Midwest when Vachon was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Kings in the winter of 1971.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Across Europe, forests gave way to tundra, and rainfall patterns in lower latitudes shifted southward.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026

After more strolls along the tundra, I dine at Grill It restaurant, where winter appears plated rather than resisted.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

Now, in this frozen tundra of a city, in a state best known for its enduring Midwestern niceness, residents of Minnesota are doubling down.

From Slate • Jan. 16, 2026

Wildfires in the tundra were almost unheard of.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• expanse
• prairie
• steppe
• wasteland