Definition of tundra
: 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
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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 of tundra from the Web
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Schneden also pointed out islands in the river and told me of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River Restoration project, which is working to restore islands for wildlife such as tundra swans, Canada geese and eagles.
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After releasing a couple of albums surveying the tundra of postpunk—full of wide-open spaces, instrumental lunges, and feral howls—Beijing three-piece Re-Tros are pivoting toward a minimalism that draws people in rather than making them scurry away.
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Step aside Jurassic Park, make way for the new and improved woolly mammoth, vast herds of which will roam the Arctic tundra as in millennia past.
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Large fires are creeping north and burning Arctic tundra.
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Do the residents of Singapore feel an annual tug to head to Iceland for walks on frozen tundra and views of the menacing North Atlantic?
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On land, this includes the giant ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica, the ice in mountain glaciers, snow on mountain tops, and frozen soil in boreal and tundra regions of the Northern Hemisphere—including large parts of Canada and Russia.
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He was credited with using radio technology to document the trek of the tundra swan, which covered thousands of miles, from the Arctic to the Mid-Atlantic.
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He was credited with using radio technology to document the trek of the tundra swan, which covered thousands of miles, from the Arctic to the Mid-Atlantic.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tundra.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of tundra
Russian, from Russian dialect (northeast) tundra, tundara, from Kildin Sami (Sami language of the northern Kola Peninsula) tūnter
Other Ecology Terms
TUNDRA Defined for English Language Learners
tundra
playDefinition of tundra for English Language Learners
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: a large area of flat land in northern parts of the world where there are no trees and the ground is always frozen
TUNDRA Defined for Kids
tundra
playDefinition of tundra for Students
: a treeless plain of arctic regions having a permanently frozen layer below the surface of the soil
Learn More about tundra
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tundra Spanish Central: Translation of tundra Nglish: Translation of tundra for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tundra
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