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sphere

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.06 sec.
sphere  (sfr)
n.
1. Mathematics A three-dimensional surface, all points of which are equidistant from a fixed point.
2. A spherical object or figure.
3. A celestial body, such as a planet or star.
4. The sky, appearing as a hemisphere to an observer: the sphere of the heavens.
5. Any of a series of concentric, transparent, revolving globes that together were once thought to contain the moon, sun, planets, and stars.
6. The extent of a person's knowledge, interests, or social position.
7. An area of power, control, or influence; domain. See Synonyms at field.
tr.v. sphered, spher·ing, spheres
1. To form into a sphere.
2. To put in or within a sphere.
3. To surround or encompass.

[Middle English spere, from Old French espere, from Latin sphaera, from Greek sphaira.]

sphe·rici·ty (sfî-rs-t) n.

sphere
Noun
1. Geom a round solid figure in which every point on the surface is equally distant from the centre
2. an object having this shape, such as a planet
3. a particular field of activity
4. people of the same rank or with shared interests: a humbler social sphere [Greek sphaira]

sphere  (sfîr)
A three-dimensional geometric surface having all of its points the same distance from a given point.

Sphere the persons with whom one is normally in contact, 1839; a group of persons of a certain rank, standing, or interest, 1601.
Examples: sphere of sweet affections, 1602; of fortunes, 1671; of the theatre; of the world of music.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.spheresphere - a particular environment or walk of life; "his social sphere is limited"; "it was a closed area of employment"; "he's out of my orbit"
environment - the totality of surrounding conditions; "he longed for the comfortable environment of his living room"
distaff - the sphere of work by women
front - a sphere of activity involving effort; "the Japanese were active last week on the diplomatic front"; "they advertise on many different fronts"
kingdom, realm, land - a domain in which something is dominant; "the untroubled kingdom of reason"; "a land of make-believe"; "the rise of the realm of cotton in the south"
lap - an area of control or responsibility; "the job fell right in my lap"
political arena, political sphere - a sphere of intense political activity
preserve - a domain that seems to be specially reserved for someone; "medicine is no longer a male preserve"
province, responsibility - the proper sphere or extent of your activities; "it was his province to take care of himself"
2.sphere - any spherically shaped artifact
artefact, artifact - a man-made object taken as a whole
globe - a sphere on which a map (especially of the earth) is represented
3.sphere - the geographical area in which one nation is very influential
4.sphere - a particular aspect of life or activity; "he was helpless in an important sector of his life"
aspect, facet - a distinct feature or element in a problem; "he studied every facet of the question"
department - a specialized sphere of knowledge; "baking is not my department"; "his work established a new department of literature"
5.sphere - a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses)
round shape - a shape that is curved and without sharp angles
conglobation, conglomeration - a rounded spherical form
globe, orb, ball - an object with a spherical shape; "a ball of fire"
drop, bead, pearl - a shape that is spherical and small; "he studied the shapes of low-viscosity drops"; "beads of sweat on his forehead"
6.sphere - a three-dimensional closed surface such that every point on the surface is equidistant from the center
steradian, sr - the unit of solid angle adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
round shape - a shape that is curved and without sharp angles
7.spheresphere - the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
apex of the sun's way, solar apex, apex - the point on the celestial sphere toward which the sun and solar system appear to be moving relative to the fixed stars
celestial point - a point in the heavens (on the celestial sphere)
nadir - the point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
surface - the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object; "they skimmed over the surface of the water"; "a brush small enough to clean every dental surface"; "the sun has no distinct surface"
zenith - the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
zodiac - a belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic; divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes

sphere
noun 1. ball, globe, orb, globule, circle
Translations
Spanish sphere [sfɪəʳ] nesfera
French sphere [sfɪəʳ] nsphère f (fig); sphère, domaine m
German sphere [sfɪəʳ] nKugel f;
(area) → Gebiet nt, Bereich m

Italian sphere [sfɪəʳ] nsfera

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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
That the red sphere had been dug out as a precious thing, was patent.
Personally, he now inclines to the opinion of the Sphere that the Straight Lines are in many important respects superior to the Circles.
In his humble sphere he was esteemed an honest man, although like many of his class in English towns he was somewhat addicted to drink.
 
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