north pole

noun

1
a
often capitalized N&P : the northernmost point of the earth
broadly : the corresponding point of a celestial body (such as a planet)
b
: the zenith of the heavens as viewed from the north terrestrial pole
2
of a magnet : the pole that points toward the north when the magnet is freely suspended

Examples of north pole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
While the impact point was, in the ancient past, near the moon's north pole, the imbalance tilted it until the impact zone is now in the southern midlatitudes. David Szondy, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2024 This image shows the distribution of surface ice at the Moon’s south pole (left) and north pole (right), detected by NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 July 2024 The summer solstice — the exact moment when Earth’s north pole is most tilted towards the sun — happens at 4:51 p.m. ET, according to the National Weather Service. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 20 June 2024 In 2012, Messenger confirmed that the ice at Mercury’s north pole was frozen water. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for north pole 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of north pole was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near north pole

Cite this Entry

“North pole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/north%20pole. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

north pole

noun
1
a
often capitalized N&P : the northernmost point of the earth : the northern end of the earth's axis
b
: the point in the sky directly overhead at the north pole
2
: the pole of a magnet that points toward the north

More from Merriam-Webster on north pole

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!