sphere

English Online Dictionary. What means sphere‎? What does sphere mean?

English

Alternative forms

• sphære (archaic)
• sphear (archaic)
• spheare (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English spere, from Old French sphere, from Late Latin sphēra, earlier Latin sphaera (“ball, globe, celestial sphere”), from Ancient Greek σφαῖρα (sphaîra, “ball, globe”), of unknown origin. Not related to superficially similar Persian سپهر (sepehr, “sky”) (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /sfɪə(ɹ)/
• (US) enPR: sfîr, IPA^(key): /sfɪɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

Noun

sphere (plural spheres)

1. (mathematics) A surface in three dimensions consisting of all points equidistant from a center. [from 14th c.].

   Synonym: (topology) 2-sphere

2. An object which appears to be bounded by a sphere; a round object, a ball. [from 14th c.]

   Synonym: orb
3. (astronomy, now rare) The celestial sphere: the edge of the heavens, imagined as a hollow globe within which celestial bodies appear to be embedded. [from 14th c.]
4. (historical, astronomy, mythology) Any of the concentric hollow transparent globes formerly believed to rotate around the Earth, and which carried the heavenly bodies; there were originally believed to be eight, and later nine and ten; friction between them was thought to cause a harmonious sound (the music of the spheres). [from 14th c.]
5. (mythology) An area of activity for a planet; or by extension, an area of influence for a god, hero etc. [from 14th c.]
6. (figuratively) The region in which something or someone is active; one's province, domain. [from 17th c.]

   Synonyms: area, field, orbit, sector

   sphere of influence
7. The natural, normal, or proper place (of something).

   Synonym: element

   in one's sphere

8. (geometry) The set of all points in three-dimensional Euclidean space (or n-dimensional space, in topology) that are a fixed distance from a fixed point [from 20th c.].
9. (logic, dated) The domain of reference of a proposition, subject, or predicate, or the totality of the particular subjects to which it applies.

Derived terms

Related terms

• atmosphere
• hemisphere
• ionosphere
• n-sphere
• planisphere
• spherical
• spheroid
• stratosphere
• troposphere

Translations

Verb

sphere (third-person singular simple present spheres, present participle sphering, simple past and past participle sphered)

1. (transitive) To place in a sphere, or among the spheres; to ensphere.
2. (transitive) To make round or spherical; to perfect.

See also

• ball (in topology)
• Mathworld article on the sphere
• PlanetMath article on the sphere

References

• “sphere”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Hesper, herpes, pesher, pheers

Middle French

Alternative forms

• sphaere
• spere

Noun

sphere f (plural spheres)

1. sphere (shape)

Descendants

• French: sphère

Old French

Alternative forms

• espere
• esphere
• spere

Noun

sphere oblique singular, f (oblique plural spheres, nominative singular sphere, nominative plural spheres)

1. sphere (shape)

Descendants

• English: sphere
• French: sphère

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (sphere, supplement)