polar

Related to the cold areas around the northern or southern ends of the Earth.

• Polar bears live in the Arctic.
• The team studied melting polar ice.
• Few plants survive the long polar winter.

Common phrases: polar bear, polar ice, polar region

At completely opposite ends of a range of ideas, qualities, or opinions.

• Their opinions are polar opposites.
• The debate revealed two polar positions.
• These paintings represent polar extremes of style.

Similar words: opposite, opposed

Common phrases: polar opposites, polar extremes, polar views

Having or relating to separate positive and negative electrical ends, or opposite magnetic ends.

• Water is a polar molecule.
• The diagram shows a polar bond.
• The experiment measured polar effects in the material.

Opposites: nonpolar

Common phrases: polar molecule, polar bond, polar effects

A line joining the two points where lines from one outside point touch a curve.

• Draw the polar of this point.
• The two contact points lie on the polar.
• We calculated the equation of the polar for the circle.

How to use it: the polar of a point (The diagram shows the polar of point P.)

Common phrases: polar of something, polar line, draw a polar