tundra

noun

tun·​dra ˈtən-drə 

 also  ˈtu̇n-

: a level or rolling treeless plain that is characteristic of arctic and subarctic regions, consists of black mucky soil with a permanently frozen subsoil, and has a dominant vegetation of mosses, lichens, herbs, and dwarf shrubs

also : a similar region confined to mountainous areas above timberline

Synonyms

• prairie
• steppe
• plain
• grassland
• savanna

Examples of tundra in a Sentence

a report on the arctic tundra of Alaska and the polar bears that inhabit that vast, frozen plain

Recent Examples on the Web

Learn How To Photograph The Aurora The tiny town of Churchill on Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada, is one of the best places to see polar bears in the wild from tundra vehicles. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025

His childhood was defined by wild flavors: eating seabird brains, fish crisped over open flames, and plucking berries straight from the tundra. —Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025

And Marguerite did actually manage to live there for years, scraping together a life on the hostile tundra. —The Atlantic, 15 May 2025

Unearthed from the Patagonian tundra, the spirit of filmmaker Lucien Castlenau nods to a trip made by Paul Castelnau and Lucien Le Saint in 1925 — documenting the region’s first nations. —Holly Jones, Variety, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Russian, from Russian dialect (northeast) tundra, tundara, from Kildin Sami (Sami language of the northern Kola Peninsula) tūnter

First Known Use

circa 1841, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tundra

• tundra swan

Kids Definition

tundra

noun

tun·​dra ˈtən-drə 

 also  ˈtu̇n-

: a treeless plain especially of arctic regions having a permanently frozen layer below the surface soil and plant life made up mostly of mosses, lichens, herbs, and very small shrubs