Polar

Polar, pō′lar, adj. pertaining to, or situated near, either of the poles: pertaining to the magnetic poles: having a common meeting-point.—n. (geom.) the line joining the points of contact, of tangents drawn to meet a curve from a point called the pole of the line.—ns.pl. Pōlar-co-or′dinates, co-ordinates defining a point by means of a radius vector and the angle which it makes with a fixed line through the origin; Pō′lar-for′ces, forces that act in pairs and in different directions, as in magnetism.—n. Polarim′eter, the polariscope.—adj. Polarī′sable, capable of polarisation.—ns. Polarisā′tion (opt.), a particular modification of rays of light, by the action of certain media or surfaces, so that they cannot be reflected or refracted again in certain directions: state of having polarity; Polar′iscope, an instrument for polarising light, and analysing its properties.—v.t. Pō′larise, to give polarity to.—ns. Pō′lariser, that which polarises or gives polarity to; Polar′ity, state of having two opposite poles: a condition in certain bodies according to which their properties arrange themselves so as to have opposite powers in opposite directions, as in a magnet with its two poles.—Polar bear, a large white bear found in the Arctic regions; Polar circle, a parallel of latitude encircling each of the poles at a distance of 23° 28′ from the pole—the north polar being called the arctic, the south the antarctic, circle; Polar lights, the aurora borealis or australis. [L. polaris—polus, a pole.]