Adjacent Words

Polar definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PO'LAR, a.
1. Pertaining to the poles of the earth, north or south, or to the poles of artificial globes; situated near one of the poles; as polar regions; polar seas; polar ice or climates.
2. Proceeding from one of the regions near the poles, as polar winds.
3. Pertaining to the magnetic pole, or to the point to which the magnetic needle is directed.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having a pair of equal and opposite charges
2: characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed; "in diametric contradiction to his claims"; "diametrical (or opposite) points of view"; "opposite meanings"; "extreme and indefensible polar positions" [syn: diametric, diametrical, opposite, polar]
3: located at or near or coming from the earth's poles; "polar diameter"; "polar zone"; "a polar air mass"; "Antarctica is the only polar continent"
4: of or existing at or near a geographical pole or within the Arctic or Antarctic Circles; "polar regions" [ant: equatorial]
5: extremely cold; "an arctic climate"; "a frigid day"; "gelid waters of the North Atlantic"; "glacial winds"; "icy hands"; "polar weather" [syn: arctic, frigid, gelid, glacial, icy, polar]
6: being of crucial importance; "a pivotal event"; "Its pivotal location has also exposed it to periodic invasions"- Henry Kissinger; "the polar events of this study"; "a polar principal" [syn: pivotal, polar]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: New Latin polaris, from Latin polus pole Date: 1551 1. a. of or relating to a geographic pole or the region around it b. coming from or having the characteristics of such a region c. (1) passing over a celestial body's north and south poles <a satellite in a polar orbit> (2) traveling in a polar orbit <a polar satellite> 2. of or relating to one or more poles (as of a magnet) 3. serving as a guide <a polar principle> <a polar theory> 4. diametrically opposite <polar positions on the issue> 5. exhibiting polarity; especially having a dipole or characterized by molecules having dipoles <a polar solvent> 6. resembling a pole or axis around which all else revolves ; pivotal <polar events> 7. of, relating to, or expressed in polar coordinates <polar equations>; also of or relating to a polar coordinate system II. noun Date: 1848 a straight line related to a point; specifically the straight line joining the points of contact of the tangents from a point exterior to a conic section

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1 adj. a of or near a pole of the earth or a celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. b (of a species or variety) living in the north polar region. 2 having magnetic polarity. 3 a (of a molecule) having a positive charge at one end and a negative charge at the other. b (of a compound) having electric charges. 4 Geom. of or relating to a pole. 5 directly opposite in character or tendency. Phrases and idioms: polar bear a white bear, Ursus maritimus, of the Arctic regions. polar body a small cell produced from an oocyte during the formation of an ovum, which does not develop further. polar circle each of the circles parallel to the equator at a distance of 23° 27 Usage: from either pole. polar coordinates a system by which a point can be located with reference to two angles. polar curve a curve related in a particular way to a given curve and to a fixed point called a pole. polar distance the angular distance of a point on a sphere from the nearest pole. polar star = POLESTAR. Derivatives: polarly adv. Etymology: F polaire or mod.L polaris (as POLE(2))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Polar Po"lar, a. [Cf. F. polaire. See Pole of the earth.] 1. Of or pertaining to one of the poles of the earth, or of a sphere; situated near, or proceeding from, one of the poles; as, polar regions; polar seas; polar winds. 2. Of or pertaining to the magnetic pole, or to the point to which the magnetic needle is directed. 3. (Geom.) Pertaining to, reckoned from, or having a common radiating point; as, polar co["o]rdinates. Polar axis, that axis of an astronomical instrument, as an equatorial, which is parallel to the earths axis. Polar bear (Zo["o]l.), a large bear (Ursus, or Thalarctos, maritimus) inhabiting the arctic regions. It sometimes measures nearly nine feet in length and weighs 1,600 pounds. It is partially amphibious, very powerful, and the most carnivorous of all the bears. The fur is white, tinged with yellow. Called also White bear. See Bear. Polar body, cell, or globule (Biol.), a minute cell which separates by karyokinesis from the ovum during its maturation. In the maturation of ordinary ova two polar bodies are formed, but in parthogenetic ova only one. The first polar body formed is usually larger than the second one, and often divides into two after its separation from the ovum. Each of the polar bodies removes maternal chromatin from the ovum to make room for the chromatin of the fertilizing spermatozo["o]n; but their functions are not fully understood. Polar circles (Astron. & Geog.), two circles, each at a distance from a pole of the earth equal to the obliquity of the ecliptic, or about 23[deg] 28', the northern called the arctic circle, and the southern the antarctic circle. Polar clock, a tube, containing a polarizing apparatus, turning on an axis parallel to that of the earth, and indicating the hour of the day on an hour circle, by being turned toward the plane of maximum polarization of the light of the sky, which is always 90[deg] from the sun. Polar co["o]rdinates. See under 3d Co["o]rdinate. Polar dial, a dial whose plane is parallel to a great circle passing through the poles of the earth. --Math. Dict. Polar distance, the angular distance of any point on a sphere from one of its poles, particularly of a heavenly body from the north pole of the heavens. Polar equation of a line or surface, an equation which expresses the relation between the polar co["o]rdinates of every point of the line or surface. Polar forces (Physics), forces that are developed and act in pairs, with opposite tendencies or properties in the two elements, as magnetism, electricity, etc. Polar hare (Zo["o]l.), a large hare of Arctic America (Lepus arcticus), which turns pure white in winter. It is probably a variety of the common European hare (L. timidus). Polar lights, the aurora borealis or australis. Polar, or Polaric, opposition or contrast (Logic), an opposition or contrast made by the existence of two opposite conceptions which are the extremes in a species, as white and black in colors; hence, as great an opposition or contrast as possible. Polar projection. See under Projection. Polar spherical triangle (Spherics), a spherical triangle whose three angular points are poles of the sides of a given triangle. See 4th Pole, 2. Polar whale (Zo["o]l.), the right whale, or bowhead. See Whale.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Polar Po"lar, a. [Cf. F. polaire. See Pole of the earth.] 1. Of or pertaining to one of the poles of the earth, or of a sphere; situated near, or proceeding from, one of the poles; as, polar regions; polar seas; polar winds. 2. Of or pertaining to the magnetic pole, or to the point to which the magnetic needle is directed. 3. (Geom.) Pertaining to, reckoned from, or having a common radiating point; as, polar co["o]rdinates. Polar axis, that axis of an astronomical instrument, as an equatorial, which is parallel to the earths axis. Polar bear (Zo["o]l.), a large bear (Ursus, or Thalarctos, maritimus) inhabiting the arctic regions. It sometimes measures nearly nine feet in length and weighs 1,600 pounds. It is partially amphibious, very powerful, and the most carnivorous of all the bears. The fur is white, tinged with yellow. Called also White bear. See Bear. Polar body, cell, or globule (Biol.), a minute cell which separates by karyokinesis from the ovum during its maturation. In the maturation of ordinary ova two polar bodies are formed, but in parthogenetic ova only one. The first polar body formed is usually larger than the second one, and often divides into two after its separation from the ovum. Each of the polar bodies removes maternal chromatin from the ovum to make room for the chromatin of the fertilizing spermatozo["o]n; but their functions are not fully understood. Polar circles (Astron. & Geog.), two circles, each at a distance from a pole of the earth equal to the obliquity of the ecliptic, or about 23[deg] 28', the northern called the arctic circle, and the southern the antarctic circle. Polar clock, a tube, containing a polarizing apparatus, turning on an axis parallel to that of the earth, and indicating the hour of the day on an hour circle, by being turned toward the plane of maximum polarization of the light of the sky, which is always 90[deg] from the sun. Polar co["o]rdinates. See under 3d Co["o]rdinate. Polar dial, a dial whose plane is parallel to a great circle passing through the poles of the earth. --Math. Dict. Polar distance, the angular distance of any point on a sphere from one of its poles, particularly of a heavenly body from the north pole of the heavens. Polar equation of a line or surface, an equation which expresses the relation between the polar co["o]rdinates of every point of the line or surface. Polar forces (Physics), forces that are developed and act in pairs, with opposite tendencies or properties in the two elements, as magnetism, electricity, etc. Polar hare (Zo["o]l.), a large hare of Arctic America (Lepus arcticus), which turns pure white in winter. It is probably a variety of the common European hare (L. timidus). Polar lights, the aurora borealis or australis. Polar, or Polaric, opposition or contrast (Logic), an opposition or contrast made by the existence of two opposite conceptions which are the extremes in a species, as white and black in colors; hence, as great an opposition or contrast as possible. Polar projection. See under Projection. Polar spherical triangle (Spherics), a spherical triangle whose three angular points are poles of the sides of a given triangle. See 4th Pole, 2. Polar whale (Zo["o]l.), the right whale, or bowhead. See Whale.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Polar Po"lar, n. (Conic Sections) The right line drawn through the two points of contact of the two tangents drawn from a given point to a given conic section. The given point is called the pole of the line. If the given point lies within the curve so that the two tangents become imaginary, there is still a real polar line which does not meet the curve, but which possesses other properties of the polar. Thus the focus and directrix are pole and polar. There are also poles and polar curves to curves of higher degree than the second, and poles and polar planes to surfaces of the second degree.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Polar means near the North and South Poles. Warmth melted some of the polar ice. ...polar explorers. ADJ: ADJ n 2. Polar is used to describe things which are completely opposite in character, quality, or type. (FORMAL) In many ways, Brett and Bernard are polar opposites. ADJ: ADJ n

Dictionary of Ro

pie

Moby Thesaurus

Antarctic, Arctic, Siberian, antagonistic, antipodal, antipodean, antithetic, antithetical, boundary, brumal, caudal, conclusive, confronting, contradictory, contrapositive, contrary, converse, counter, definitive, determinative, diamagnetic, diametric, electromagnetic, endmost, eventual, extreme, eyeball-to-eyeball, facing, farthest, ferromagnetic, final, freezing, frigid, frozen, glacial, hibernal, hostile, hyperborean, icy, inverse, last, limiting, magnetic, numbing, obverse, opposed, opposing, opposite, polaric, polarized, reverse, tail, terminal, terminating, terminative, ultimate, wintry