Definitions for: Polar


[adj] having a pair of equal and opposite charges
[adj] 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"
[adj] extremely cold; "an arctic climate"; "let's get inside; I'm freezing"; "a frigid day"; "gelid waters of the North Atlantic"; "glacial winds"; "icy hands"; "polar weather"
[adj] 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"
[adj] of or existing at or near a geographical pole or within the Arctic or Antarctic Circles; "polar regions"
[adj] 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"



Webster (1913) Definition: 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.


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.

Synonyms: Antarctic, arctic, charged, circumpolar, cold, crucial, diametric, diametrical, different, freezing, frigid, gelid, glacial, icy, important, nontropical, north-polar, opposite, pivotal, south-polar

Antonyms: equatorial

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