POLAR
polar
(adjective) having a pair of equal and opposite charges
pivotal, polar
(adjective) 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”
arctic, frigid, gelid, glacial, icy, polar
(adjective) extremely cold; “an arctic climate”; “a frigid day”; “gelid waters of the North Atlantic”; “glacial winds”; “icy hands”; “polar weather”
diametric, diametrical, opposite, polar
(adjective) 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”
polar
(adjective) of or existing at or near a geographical pole or within the Arctic or Antarctic Circles; “polar regions”
polar
(adjective) 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”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
polar (not comparable)
Of or having a pole or polarity.
(geography) Of, relating to, measured from, or referred to a geographic pole (the North Pole or South Pole); within the Arctic or Antarctic circles.
(space sciences) Of an orbit that passes over, or near, one of these poles.
(chemistry) Having a dipole; ionic.
(mathematics) Of a coordinate system, specifying the location of a point in a plane by using a radius and an angle.
(linguistics, of a question) Having but two possible answers, yes and no.
Noun
polar (plural polars)
(geometry) The line joining the points of contact of tangents drawn to meet a curve from a point called the pole of the line.
Anagrams
• ROLAP, parol, poral
Source: Wiktionary
Po"lar, a. Etym: [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.)
Definition: Pertaining to, reckoned from, or having a common radiating
point; as, polar coördinates. Polar axis, that axis of an
astronomical instrument, as an equatorial, which is parallel to the
earths axis.
– Polar bear (Zoöl.), 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 spermatozoön; 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 23Âş 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 90Âş
from the sun.
– Polar coördinates. See under 3d Coördinate.
– 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 coördinates 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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), the right whale, or bowhead. See Whale.
Po"lar, n. (Conic Sections)
Definition: 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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition