Arctica

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. An ancient continent situated in the Arctic, formed from the Canadian and Siberian shields.
  2. A hypothetical continent that allegedly sank into the Arctic Ocean.

Word forms

Arctica

Etymology

From Latin arctica, from arcticus (“northern”), from Ancient Greek ἀρκτικός (arktikós, “northern”), from Ἄρκτος (Árktos, “Arctos, the Great Bear Constellation”), the constellation Ursa Major which points to the North Celestial Pole, from ἄρκτος (árktos, “bear”), the star pattern shape of the constellation Arctos.

Related words

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