permafrost

per·ma·frost | \ ˈpər-mə-ˌfrȯst

How to pronounce permafrost (audio)

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Definition of permafrost

: a permanently frozen layer at variable depth below the surface in frigid regions of a planet (such as earth)

Examples of permafrost in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Although an older grass seed was successfully germinated after millennia frozen in Siberian permafrost, these dates are some of the oldest plants ever successfully germinated. — Andrew Curry, Science | AAAS, "Dead Sea dates grown from 2000-year-old seeds," 5 Feb. 2020 Climate change is also melting Russia’s permafrost. — Julian Lee | Bloomberg, Washington Post, "Fires and Floods Make Saudi Aramco IPO a Hard Sell," 17 Nov. 2019 Another example cited involved the Army Corps of Engineers deeming permafrost in Alaska to be subject to the Clean Water Act thereby prohibiting the expansion of a pipe fabrication business that provided services to the North Slope Oil Fields. — BostonGlobe.com, "You're using a browser set to private or incognito mode.," 10 Oct. 2019 The report, which was written by more than 100 international experts and is based on more than 7,000 studies, represents the most extensive look to date at the effects of climate change on oceans, ice sheets, mountain snowpack and permafrost. — New York Times, "The World’s Oceans Are in Danger, Major Climate Change Report Warns," 25 Sep. 2019 And lives, as well as livelihoods, are at threat. Melting permafrost, which acts as a cement holding slopes together, increases the risk of rock fall. — The Economist, "Death in the Alps," 20 Dec. 2019 As the permafrost melts, affected by climate change, more and more parts of woolly mammoths, canines and other prehistoric animals are being discovered. — NBC News, "18,000-year-old puppy found remarkably preserved in permafrost," 4 Dec. 2019 As the permafrost melts, affected by climate change, more and more parts of woolly mammoths, canines and other prehistoric animals are being discovered. — Fox News, "18,000 year-old puppy frozen in permafrost discovered," 4 Dec. 2019 As the permafrost melts, affected by climate change, more and more parts of woolly mammoths, canines and other prehistoric animals are being discovered. — Washington Post, "Russian scientists present ancient puppy found in permafrost," 3 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'permafrost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

10 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Permafrost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permafrost. Accessed 22 Feb. 2020.

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