The counterpoise of so great an opposition. --Shak.
Virtue which breaks through all opposition.
--Milton.
2. The state of being placed over against; situation so as to
front something else. --Milton.
3. Repugnance; contrariety of sentiment, interest, or
purpose; antipathy. --Shak.
4. That which opposes; an obstacle; specifically, the
aggregate of persons or things opposing; hence, in
politics and parliamentary practice, the party opposed to
the party in power.
5. (Astron.) The situation of a heavenly body with respect to
another when in the part of the heavens directly opposite
to it; especially, the position of a planet or satellite
when its longitude differs from that of the sun 180[deg];
-- signified by the symbol ?; as, ? [Jupiter] [Sun],
opposition of Jupiter to the sun.
6. (Logic) The relation between two propositions when, having
the same subject and predicate, they differ in quantity,
or in quality, or in both; or between two propositions
which have the same matter but a different form.
2. Of or pertaining to the magnetic pole, or to the point to
which the magnetic needle is directed.
3. (Geom.) Pertaining to, reckoned from, or having a common
radiating point; as, polar co["o]rdinates.
{Polar axis}, that axis of an astronomical instrument, as an
equatorial, which is parallel to the earths axis.
{Polar bear} (Zo["o]l.), a large bear ({Ursus, or Thalarctos,
maritimus}) inhabiting the arctic regions. It sometimes
measures nearly nine feet in length and weighs 1,600
pounds. It is partially amphibious, very powerful, and the
most carnivorous of all the bears. The fur is white,
tinged with yellow. Called also {White bear}. See {Bear}.
{Polar body}, {cell}, or {globule} (Biol.), a minute cell
which separates by karyokinesis from the ovum during its
maturation. In the maturation of ordinary ova two polar
bodies are formed, but in parthogenetic ova only one. The
first polar body formed is usually larger than the second
one, and often divides into two after its separation from
the ovum. Each of the polar bodies removes maternal
chromatin from the ovum to make room for the chromatin of
the fertilizing spermatozo["o]n; but their functions are
not fully understood.
{Polar circles} (Astron. & Geog.), two circles, each at a
distance from a pole of the earth equal to the obliquity
of the ecliptic, or about 23[deg] 28', the northern called
the arctic circle, and the southern the antarctic circle.
{Polar clock}, a tube, containing a polarizing apparatus,
turning on an axis parallel to that of the earth, and
indicating the hour of the day on an hour circle, by being
turned toward the plane of maximum polarization of the
light of the sky, which is always 90[deg] from the sun.
{Polar co["o]rdinates}. See under 3d {Co["o]rdinate}.
{Polar dial}, a dial whose plane is parallel to a great
circle passing through the poles of the earth. --Math.
Dict.
{Polar distance}, the angular distance of any point on a
sphere from one of its poles, particularly of a heavenly
body from the north pole of the heavens.
{Polar equation of a line} or {surface}, an equation which
expresses the relation between the polar co["o]rdinates of
every point of the line or surface.
{Polar forces} (Physics), forces that are developed and act
in pairs, with opposite tendencies or properties in the
two elements, as magnetism, electricity, etc.
{Polar hare} (Zo["o]l.), a large hare of Arctic America
({Lepus arcticus}), which turns pure white in winter. It
is probably a variety of the common European hare ({L.
timidus}).
{Polar lights}, the aurora borealis or australis.
{Polar}, or {Polaric}, {opposition} or {contrast} (Logic), an
opposition or contrast made by the existence of two
opposite conceptions which are the extremes in a species,
as white and black in colors; hence, as great an
opposition or contrast as possible.
{Polar projection}. See under {Projection}.
{Polar spherical triangle} (Spherics), a spherical triangle
whose three angular points are poles of the sides of a
given triangle. See 4th {Pole}, 2.
{Polar whale} (Zo["o]l.), the right whale, or bowhead. See
{Whale}.