polynya

po·lyn·ya

P0427400 (pŏl′ən-yä′, pə-lĭn′yə)n. An area of open water surrounded by sea ice.

[Russian polyn'ya, from polyĭ, open, hollow; see pelə- in Indo-European roots.]

polynya

(ˈpɒlənˌjɑː) n (Physical Geography) a stretch of open water surrounded by ice, esp near the mouths of large rivers, in arctic seas[C19: from Russian, from poly open, hollowed-out]

po•lyn•ya

(pəˈlɪn yə)

n., pl. -yas. an area of open sea water surrounded by ice. [1850–55; < Russian polyn'yá, Old Russian polynĭi=pol(ŭ) empty, open + -ynĭi n. suffix]

Thesaurus

Noun

polynya - a stretch of open water surrounded by ice (especially in Arctic seas)body of water, water - the part of the earth's surface covered with water (such as a river or lake or ocean); "they invaded our territorial waters"; "they were sitting by the water's edge"

Polynya

an area of open water in the sheet ice of a river or in the floating ice fields of a sea or lake. Polynyas form in rivers where there is a rapid current or where groundwater seeps into the river. They also form in tail waters. In addition, they form where warm water from industrial enterprises is emptied into a river and at the source of a river that originates in a lake, where the ice is broken up by the river’s movement. This is characteristic of seas, where polynyas are formed primarily by the wind.

polynya

po·lyn·ya

polynya

po•lyn•ya

Polynya

Polynya

polynya

Words related to polynya

noun a stretch of open water surrounded by ice (especially in Arctic seas)

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