polar

views updated Jun 08 2018

po·lar / ˈpōlər/ • adj. 1. of or relating to the North or South Pole: the polar regions. ∎  (of an animal or plant) living in the north or south polar region. ∎  Astron. of or relating to the poles of a celestial body. ∎  Astron. of or relating to a celestial pole. ∎  Geom. of or relating to the poles of a sphere. See pole2 . ∎  Biol. of or relating to the poles of a cell, organ, or part.2. Physics & Chem. having electrical or magnetic polarity. ∎  (of a liquid, esp. a solvent) consisting of molecules with a dipole moment. ∎  (of a solid) ionic.3. directly opposite in character or tendency: depression and its polar opposite, mania.• n. 1. Geom. the straight line joining the two points at which tangents from a fixed point touch a conic section.2. Astron. a variable binary star that emits strongly polarized light, one component being a strongly magnetic white dwarf.