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(often initial capital letter) of, relating to, or located at or near the North Pole:
the arctic region.
coming from the North Pole or the arctic region:
an arctic wind.
characteristic of the extremely cold, snowy, windy weather north of the Arctic Circle; frigid; bleak:
an arctic winter.
suitable for use in the arctic:
arctic boots.
extremely cold in manner, atmosphere, etc.:
a look of arctic disdain.
(often initial capital letter) the region lying north of the Arctic Circle or of the northernmost limit of tree growth; the polar area north of the timber line.
arctics, warm, waterproof overshoes.
Contemporary Examples

Two years into an arctic expedition, they were forced to abandon ship a thousand miles north of Siberia.
The Best Nonfiction Books of 2014 William O’Connor December 13, 2014

A little fresh air could be a good thing for the grand old party, even an arctic blast from Alaska.
5 Reasons Palin Will Run Matt Latimer December 5, 2010

This was Palin as an arctic John Kerry: she seemed to be saying she was against climate change before she was for it.
The Palin-Schwarzenegger Smackdown Joe Mathews December 21, 2009

Thus scientists regard further melting of the arctic as inevitable.
The End of the Arctic? Ocean Could be Ice Free by 2015 Mark Hertsgaard December 12, 2013

J. Cole—“Jodeci (Freestyle)” Haim—“The Wire” Phoenix — “Trying to Be Cool” arctic Monkeys—“Do I Wanna Know?”
The 13 Best Songs of 2013: Lorde, Kanye West, Beyoncé, and More Marlow Stern December 27, 2013

Historical Examples

Points of historic interest were under his eye, and nature was clothed with a wild arctic beauty.
North-Pole Voyages Zachariah Atwell Mudge

This was the last arctic voyage in which Frobisher took part.
Celebrated Travels and Travellers Jules Verne

The thought touched her with an arctic sense of cold and desolation.
Aunt Rachel David Christie Murray

Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.
Moby Dick; or The Whale Herman Melville

Nothing more wonderfully beautiful can exist than the arctic night.
Farthest North Fridtjof Nansen

adjective
of or relating to the Arctic: arctic temperatures
(informal) cold; freezing: the weather at Christmas was arctic
noun
(US) a high waterproof overshoe with buckles
(modifier) designed or suitable for conditions of extreme cold: arctic clothing
noun
the Arctic, Arctic Zone, the regions north of the Arctic Circle
adjective
of or relating to the regions north of the Arctic Circle
adj.

late 14c., artik, from Old French artique, from Medieval Latin articus, from Latin arcticus, from Greek arktikos “of the north,” literally “of the (constellation) Bear,” from arktos “bear; Ursa Major; the region of the north,” the Bear being a northerly constellation. From *rkto-, the usual Indo-European base for “bear” (cf. Avestan aresho, Armenian arj, Albanian ari, Latin ursus, Welsh arth); see bear (n.) for why the name changed in Germanic. The -c- was restored from 1550s. As a noun, “the Arctic regions,” from 1560s.

Region in the northernmost area of the Earth, centered on the North Pole.

Note: The weather of the Arctic is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers.

Note: The Arctic has been the object of much exploration by air, land, and sea. The shortest distance by plane between continents in the Northern Hemisphere is often over the Arctic.

language, music
A real-time functional language, used for music synthesis.
[“Arctic: A Functional Language for Real-Time Control”, R.B. Dannenberg, Conf Record 1984 ACM Symp on LISP and Functional Prog, ACM].
(1995-01-16)