ˈtəndrə, ˈtu̇n- noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Russian, of Finno-Ugric origin; akin to Finnish tunturi arctic hill, Lapp tundar hill
: a level or undulating treeless plain that is characteristic of arctic and subarctic regions, marks the limit of arborescent vegetation, consists of black mucky soil with a permanently frozen subsoil, and supports a dense growth of mosses and lichens (as the reindeer moss) and of dwarf caespitose herbs and shrubs often with showy flowers