: 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
Synonyms
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 on the Web
Shards of caribou bones and antlers lie on the tundra as ghostly business cards of a bygone migration, greened with mold, and minutely chiseled and mined for calcium by tiny vole teeth.
—
Jon Waterman, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2024
But two more tundras descended and the other boat dropped them both.
—Ashley Thess, Outdoor Life, 17 Oct. 2024
In an apparent violation of the rules, two women in red vests were trudging along on the tundra itself.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Archived fragrances might include the herbal scent of the tundra and the perfectly blank smell of the ice.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
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Jon Waterman, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2024
But two more tundras descended and the other boat dropped them both.
—Ashley Thess, Outdoor Life, 17 Oct. 2024
In an apparent violation of the rules, two women in red vests were trudging along on the tundra itself.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Archived fragrances might include the herbal scent of the tundra and the perfectly blank smell of the ice.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tundra
Dictionary Entries Near tundra
Cite this Entry
“Tundra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tundra. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tundra
noun
tun·dra
ˈtən-drə 
also ˈtu̇n-
: a treeless plain especially of arctic regions having a permanently frozen layer below the surface soil and plant life made up mostly of mosses, lichens, herbs, and very small shrubs
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