boreal

[bawr-ee-uhl, bohr‑]

adjective

1. of or relating to the north wind.

2. of or relating to the north.

3. (sometimes initial capital letter),  pertaining to Boreas.

Boreal

¹

/ ˈbɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or denoting the coniferous forests in the north of the N hemisphere

2. designating a climatic zone having snowy winters and short summers

3. designating a dry climatic period from about 7500 to 5500 _bc , characterized by cold winters, warm summers, and a flora dominated by pines and hazels

boreal

²

/ ˈbɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the north or the north wind

boreal

1. Relating to the north or to northern areas.

2. Relating to the north wind.

3. Relating to the forest areas of the Northern Temperate Zone that are dominated by coniferous trees such as spruce, fir, and pine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Boreal¹

1425–75; late Middle English boriall < Late Latin boreālis northern ( Latin bore(ās) Boreas + -ālis -al ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Boreal¹

C15: from Latin boreās the north wind

Example Sentences

Wildfires are part of the natural cycle, and play an essential role in the regeneration of Canada's boreal forests, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Canada.

From BBC

“Being able to work from my apartment, an airport, an airplane, hell, the Boreal Forest, is one of the reasons I'm as successful as I am.”

From Salon

The global average temperature in June, July and August — known as the boreal summer in the Northern hemisphere — was a record-breaking 62.24 degrees, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

From Los Angeles Times

“During the past three months of 2024, the globe has experienced the hottest June and August, the hottest day on record, and the hottest boreal summer on record,” read a statement from Samantha Burgess, Copernicus’ deputy director.

From Los Angeles Times

They also found similarly amplifying feedbacks in other permafrost-relevant processes, like the loss of boreal conifer forests due to fire -- but here, too, only at the local to regional scale.

From Science Daily