Arctica

A1R1C3T1I1C3A1

proper noun

An ancient continent situated in the Arctic, formed from the Canadian and Siberian shields.

Less commonScrabble 11

Meanings

proper noun
  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.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀρκτικός“northern”
  2. Latinarctica
  3. EnglishArctica

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.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish Arctica
  • ArcticaAn ancient continent

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

Arctica. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arctica

MLA

“Arctica.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arctica. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Arctica,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arctica.

Source: Arctica on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.