The tundra biome. Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons. Dead organic material functions as a nutrient pool.
Full Definition of TRANSCENDENTALISM. 1. : a philosophy that emphasizes the a priori conditions of knowledge and experience or the unknowable character of ultimate reality or that emphasizes the transcendent as the fundamental reality.2.: a philosophy that asserts the primacy of the spiritual and transcendental over the material and empirical. 3.: the quality or state of being transcendental; especially: visionary idealism. â tranÂ·scenÂ·denÂ·talÂ·ist \-tÉ-list\ adjective or noun. See transcendentalism defined for English-language learners.. : a philosophy that emphasizes the a priori conditions of knowledge and experience or the unknowable character of ultimate reality or that emphasizes the transcendent as the fundamental reality. 2. : a philosophy that asserts the primacy of the spiritual and transcendental over the material and empirical.
The Latin verb scandere means to climb, so transcend has the basic meaning of climbing so high that you cross some boundary. A transcendent experience is one that takes you out of yourself and convinces you of a larger life or existence; in this sense, it means something close to spiritual. The American writers and thinkers known as the Transcendentalists, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, believed in the unity of all creation, the basic goodness of humankind, and the superiority of spiritual vision over mere logic.