Circumpolar
/ˌsɝː.kəmˈpoʊ.lɚ/noun
Located around or near one of the Earth's poles, or visible in the sky all year from a given latitude.
Did you know?Circumpolar stars never fully set below the horizon, which made them powerful navigational anchors long before modern maps and compasses.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to turn, bend, or curve”
Latin
Latin
circum
“around, about”
Latin
Latin
polus
“the pole of the heavens; axis of the sky”
16th Century
English
circumpolar
“around the pole; pertaining to stars near the celestial pole”
Modern English
English
circumpolar
“located around a pole, especially the Earth’s poles or the celestial poles”