Sphere \Sphere\, n. [OE. spere, OF. espere, F. sph[`e]re, L.
sphaera,. Gr. ??? a sphere, a ball.]
1. (Geom.) A body or space contained under a single surface,
which in every part is equally distant from a point within
called its center.
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2. Hence, any globe or globular body, especially a celestial
one, as the sun, a planet, or the earth.
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Of celestial bodies, first the sun,
A mighty sphere, he framed. --Milton.
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3. (Astron.)
(a) The apparent surface of the heavens, which is assumed
to be spherical and everywhere equally distant, in
which the heavenly bodies appear to have their places,
and on which the various astronomical circles, as of
right ascension and declination, the equator,
ecliptic, etc., are conceived to be drawn; an ideal
geometrical sphere, with the astronomical and
geographical circles in their proper positions on it.
(b) In ancient astronomy, one of the concentric and
eccentric revolving spherical transparent shells in
which the stars, sun, planets, and moon were supposed
to be set, and by which they were carried, in such a
manner as to produce their apparent motions.
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4. (Logic) The extension of a general conception, or the
totality of the individuals or species to which it may be
applied.
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5. Circuit or range of action, knowledge, or influence;
compass; province; employment; place of existence.
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To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen
to move in 't. --Shak.
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Taking her out of the ordinary relations with
humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself.
--Hawthorne.
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Each in his hidden sphere of joy or woe
Our hermit spirits dwell. --Keble.
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6. Rank; order of society; social positions.
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7. An orbit, as of a star; a socket. [R.] --Shak.
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Armillary sphere, Crystalline sphere, Oblique sphere,.
See under Armillary, Crystalline,.
Doctrine of the sphere, applications of the principles of
spherical trigonometry to the properties and relations of
the circles of the sphere, and the problems connected with
them, in astronomy and geography, as to the latitudes and
longitudes, distance and bearing, of places on the earth,
and the right ascension and declination, altitude and
azimuth, rising and setting, etc., of the heavenly bodies;
spherical geometry.
Music of the spheres. See under Music.
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Syn: Globe; orb; circle. See Globe.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Sphere \Sphere\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sphered; p. pr. & vb. n.
Sphering.]
1. To place in a sphere, or among the spheres; to insphere.
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The glorious planet Sol
In noble eminence enthroned and sphered
Amidst the other. --Shak.
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2. To form into roundness; to make spherical, or spheral; to
perfect. --Tennyson.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
sphere
n 1: 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" [syn: domain, area, orbit, field,
arena]
2: any spherically shaped artifact
3: the geographical area in which one nation is very
influential [syn: sphere of influence]
4: a particular aspect of life or activity; "he was helpless in
an important sector of his life" [syn: sector]
5: a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the
space it encloses)
6: a three-dimensional closed surface such that every point on
the surface is equidistant from the center
7: the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which
celestial bodies appear to be projected [syn: celestial
sphere, empyrean, firmament, heavens, vault of
heaven, welkin]
WordNet (r) 2.0
208 Moby Thesaurus words for "sphere":
Aldebaran, Canicula, Dog Star, Hesper, Hesperus, Lucifer,
North Star, Phosphor, Phosphorus, Polaris, Sirius, Venus, Vesper,
academic discipline, academic specialty, acreage, agora, ambit,
amphitheater, applied science, area, arena, art, athletic field,
auditorium, background, bag, bailiwick, ball, balloon, bear garden,
beat, bladder, blob, boll, bolus, border, borderland, bowl,
boxing ring, breadth, bubble, bulb, bulbil, bulblet, bull ring,
campus, canvas, caste, celestial body, champaign, circle, circuit,
circus, class, cockpit, coliseum, colosseum, comet, concern,
condition, continuum, course, daystar, demesne, department,
department of knowledge, dimension, discipline, domain, dominion,
drop, droplet, echelon, ellipsoid, emptiness, empty space,
ensphere, evening star, expanse, expansion, extension, extent,
field, field of inquiry, field of study, fixed stars, floor,
footing, forte, forum, galactic space, geoid, globe, globelet,
globoid, globule, glomerulus, gob, gobbet, ground, gym, gymnasium,
hall, heavenly body, hemisphere, hierarchy, hippodrome,
infinite space, interstellar space, judicial circuit, jurisdiction,
knob, knot, level, lists, living sapphires, locale, lodestar,
march, marketplace, mat, measure, milieu, morning star,
natural science, nothingness, oblate spheroid, ology, open forum,
orb, orbit, orblet, order, outer space, palaestra, pale,
parade ground, pellet, pit, place, platform, polar star, polestar,
position, power structure, precedence, precinct, prize ring,
prolate spheroid, proportion, province, public square,
pure science, purlieu, range, rank, rate, rating, realm, ring,
rondure, round, scene, scene of action, scenery, science, setting,
site, social science, society, space, spatial extension, specialty,
spheroid, spherule, spread, squared circle, stadium, stage,
stage set, stage setting, standing, starry host, stars, station,
status, stratum, study, subdiscipline, subject,
superficial extension, surface, technicology, technics, technology,
terrain, territory, theater, thing, tilting ground, tiltyard,
tract, void, volume, walk, walk of life, wrestling ring
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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