permafrost

noun

per·​ma·​frost ˈpər-mə-ˌfrȯst How to pronounce permafrost (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As a result, the atmosphere and oceans heat up, increasing the risks of passing tipping points – glaciers disappear, Atlantic Ocean circulation shuts down, permafrost thaws, coral reefs die. Michael Wysession, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026 As a result, the atmosphere and oceans heat up, increasing the risks of passing tipping points – glaciers disappear, Atlantic Ocean circulation shuts down, permafrost thaws, coral reefs die. Michael Wysession, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026 Other researchers have revived 48,000-year-old viruses frozen in permafrost to examine the low but underappreciated risk of a disease outbreak unleashed by a long-dormant pathogen. Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026 The library functions as a growing catalog of extremophile organisms found in permafrost — a biological reference collection that didn’t exist until this research began building it. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for permafrost

Word History

Etymology

permanent + frost

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of permafrost was in 1943

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Cite this Entry

“Permafrost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permafrost. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

permafrost

noun
per·​ma·​frost ˈpər-mə-ˌfrȯst How to pronounce permafrost (audio)
: a permanently frozen layer at variable depth below the surface in frigid regions of a planet (as earth)

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