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 of tundra

• 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

The Brooks Range and icy coastline of Prudhoe Bay have functionally isolated the tundra’s plant-fungus partnerships from the rest of Alaska. —Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026

The faces of Al Pacino and John Cazale are unmistakable — Pacino’s eyelashes, Cazale’s tundra of a forehead, their little-boyishness in close-up, the anxiety and melancholy in their eyes. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026

Durabook has unveiled the Z14I-HG, a fully rugged mobile workstation packing 682 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of AI power inside a magnesium-alloy shell built to survive everything from minus 29 °C (-20 °F) frozen tundra to plus 63 °C (145 °F) desert heat and direct sandstorm exposure. —Omar Kardoudi march 31, New Atlas, 31 Mar. 2026

This inner strength is evident both in Nerkagi’s ability to organise the delivery of new equipment to the tundra, and in her strongly individual religious vision. —Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026

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