permafrost
noun
per·ma·frost
ˈpər-mə-ˌfrȯst 
: 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
Methane-producing microbes love thawing permafrost because conditions are wet and oxygen-poor, or anoxic.
—
Matt Simon, WIRED, 13 July 2023
The Siberian permafrost has long offered the scientific community a window into the organisms of the distant past.
—Orlando Mayorquin, New York Times, 29 July 2023
Scientists have found that thawing permafrost also releases the gas into the atmosphere, but the phenomenon is not well understood.
—Chris Mooney, Anchorage Daily News, 6 July 2023
As the ground warms, ice in the permafrost melts, and the soil thaws.
—Alessio Perrone, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2023
Five years ago, scientists from the Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science in Russia found two roundworm species in the Siberian permafrost.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 28 July 2023
Global average temperatures are now about 1.1 degrees warmer than preindustrial levels, and scientists warn the world may already be on the brink of a mass melting of carbon-rich permafrost and several other such thresholds.
—Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 26 July 2023
Thawing permafrost beneath the facility compelled the Air Force to cancel the project, bulldoze the bunker and build a new foundation on top of piles that reached solid ground beneath.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 20 July 2023
The ice sheets keep melting, the permafrost keeps releasing its methane, and the future continues to harden into a psychic zone of suffering and dread.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 10 July 2023
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Matt Simon, WIRED, 13 July 2023
The Siberian permafrost has long offered the scientific community a window into the organisms of the distant past.
—Orlando Mayorquin, New York Times, 29 July 2023
Scientists have found that thawing permafrost also releases the gas into the atmosphere, but the phenomenon is not well understood.
—Chris Mooney, Anchorage Daily News, 6 July 2023
As the ground warms, ice in the permafrost melts, and the soil thaws.
—Alessio Perrone, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2023
Five years ago, scientists from the Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science in Russia found two roundworm species in the Siberian permafrost.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 28 July 2023
Global average temperatures are now about 1.1 degrees warmer than preindustrial levels, and scientists warn the world may already be on the brink of a mass melting of carbon-rich permafrost and several other such thresholds.
—Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 26 July 2023
Thawing permafrost beneath the facility compelled the Air Force to cancel the project, bulldoze the bunker and build a new foundation on top of piles that reached solid ground beneath.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 20 July 2023
The ice sheets keep melting, the permafrost keeps releasing its methane, and the future continues to harden into a psychic zone of suffering and dread.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 10 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'permafrost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
permanent + frost
First Known Use
1943, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near permafrost
Cite this Entry
“Permafrost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permafrost. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
permafrost
noun
per·ma·frost
ˈpər-mə-ˌfrȯst
: a permanently frozen layer at variable depth below the surface in frigid regions of a planet (as earth)
More from Merriam-Webster on permafrost
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about permafrost
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