south pole

noun

1

a

often capitalized S&P : the southernmost point of the earth

b

: the zenith of the heavens as viewed from the south terrestrial pole

2

of a magnet : the pole that points toward the south

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite recent social media posts to the contrary, Bridenstine said NASA remains committed to sending the first Artemis crew to the moon's south pole where ice is believed to be present in permanently shadowed craters. —William Harwood, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2020

Also on board is NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s briefcase-sized Lunar Flashlight, that plans to map ice in the permanently shadowed spaces near the moon’s south pole. —Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Dec. 2022

The program is targeting future landings near the moon's south pole where ice deposits may be found in permanently shadowed craters, potentially providing a source of air, water and rocket fuel for future exploration. —William Harwood, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2022

The magnetic north and south pole are always slightly off-center from the geographic poles that form the spin axis, but their locations average out around the geographic poles over time. —Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2018

That forces squeezes the fissures on the south pole closer together, allowing less material through into the plumes (which are powered by internal pressures). —Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2013

This Enceladus Orbilander mission—which could launch in 2038 to arrive in 2050—would orbit and land on Saturn’s tiny active moon to investigate the 100+ plumes at the moon’s south pole that are spilling into space through cracks in the icy shell. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2023

LunaH-Map, another NASA CubeSat, failed to perform a crucial propulsion maneuver and now can’t complete its goal of mapping ice deposits around the moon’s south pole. —Nadia Drake, Scientific American, 11 Dec. 2022

Artemis III, in which two astronauts will land near the moon’s south pole, is currently scheduled for 2025, though that date is very likely to slip further into the future. —Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

south pole

noun

1

often capitalized S&P : the southernmost point of the earth : the southern end of the earth's axis

2

: the pole of a magnet that points toward the south