: 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
Their habitat ranges from tundra and boreal forests to deserts.
—
Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
As the Arctic warms up to four times as fast as the rest of the planet, white spruce trees are now spreading into tundra that was once inhospitable.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
And another running back on the move appeared to be Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders, who is set to ditch the desert in favor of the frozen tundra of Green Bay, the NFL Network reported.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
The Airlander 10, with a payload capacity of 10 metric tonnes or about 22,000 pounds, is being touted as the next generation of sustainable aircraft, with a 4,000-mile range and the ability to fly low over deserts and frozen tundra at 20 knots.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2024
There were traces of horses, cave bears, woolly rhinoceroses, and reindeer, which indicates that the area had a colder climate similar to the tundra of Siberia and northern Scandinavia today.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 31 Jan. 2024
Taylor Swift has departed the frozen tundra that is Buffalo, New York—where on Sunday, her boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Bills—and has already shed her varsity jacket.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2024
The story is set in Ennis, Alaska during a period of winter in which the sun never rises and darkness reigns over the frozen tundra.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
The company believes that resurrecting the woolly mammoth could possibly help restore the vulnerable Arctic tundra, which is at risk as the world warms.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
As the Arctic warms up to four times as fast as the rest of the planet, white spruce trees are now spreading into tundra that was once inhospitable.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
And another running back on the move appeared to be Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders, who is set to ditch the desert in favor of the frozen tundra of Green Bay, the NFL Network reported.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
The Airlander 10, with a payload capacity of 10 metric tonnes or about 22,000 pounds, is being touted as the next generation of sustainable aircraft, with a 4,000-mile range and the ability to fly low over deserts and frozen tundra at 20 knots.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2024
There were traces of horses, cave bears, woolly rhinoceroses, and reindeer, which indicates that the area had a colder climate similar to the tundra of Siberia and northern Scandinavia today.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 31 Jan. 2024
Taylor Swift has departed the frozen tundra that is Buffalo, New York—where on Sunday, her boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Bills—and has already shed her varsity jacket.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2024
The story is set in Ennis, Alaska during a period of winter in which the sun never rises and darkness reigns over the frozen tundra.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
The company believes that resurrecting the woolly mammoth could possibly help restore the vulnerable Arctic tundra, which is at risk as the world warms.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tundra.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tundra
Cite this Entry
“Tundra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tundra. Accessed 23 Apr. 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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