1. A stretch of open water in an ice field or frozen sea, kept from freezing by currents or upwelling water.
Usage: geography; oceanography; chiefly used in polar regions

Examples

• The polynyi provided a vital breathing hole for seals beneath the Arctic ice.
• Scientists studied the polynyi to understand ocean circulation patterns in the Antarctic.
• Whales migrate toward polynyi to access open water for air.
• The polynyi remained ice-free despite the surrounding frozen landscape.
• Researchers discovered a large polynyi near the coast of Greenland.