sphere

sphere
—sphereless, adj. —spherelike, adj.
/sfear/, n., v., sphered, sphering.
n.
1. Geom.
a. a solid geometric figure generated by the revolution of a semicircle about its diameter; a round body whose surface is at all points equidistant from the center. Equation: x2 + y2 + z2 = r2.
b. the surface of such a figure; a spherical surface.
2. any rounded body approximately of this form; a globular mass, shell, etc.
3. Astron.
a. a planet or star; heavenly body.
c. any of the transparent, concentric, spherical shells, or layers, in which, according to ancient belief, the planets, stars, and other heavenly bodies were set.
4. the place or environment within which a person or thing exists; a field of activity or operation: to be out of one's professional sphere.
5. a particular social world, stratum of society, or walk of life: His social sphere is small.
6. a field of something specified: a sphere of knowledge.
v.t.
7. to enclose in or as if in a sphere.
8. to form into a sphere.
9. to place among the heavenly spheres.
[1250-1300; < LL sphera, L sphaera globe < Gk sphaîra ball; r. ME spere < OF spere < LL spera, var. of sphera]
Syn. 4. orbit, area, province, compass, realm, domain. 5. class, rank.

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I
In geometry, the set of all points in three-dimensional space lying the same distance (the radius) from a given point (the centre), or the result of rotating a circle about one of its diameters.

The components and properties of a sphere are analogous to those of a circle. A diameter is any line segment connecting two points of a sphere and passing through its centre. The circumference is the length of any great circle, the intersection of the sphere with any plane passing through its centre. A meridian is any great circle passing through a point designated a pole. A geodesic, the shortest distance between any two points on a sphere, is an arc of the great circle through the two points. The formula for determining a sphere's surface area is 4πr2; its volume is determined by (43)πr3. The study of spheres is basic to terrestrial geography and is one of the principal areas of Euclidean geometry and elliptic geometry.
II
(as used in expressions)
Monk Thelonious Sphere

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • sphère — [ sfɛr ] n. f. • 1509; espere mil. XIIe; d ab. t. d astron.; lat. sphæra, gr. sphaira 1 ♦ Surface fermée dont tous les points sont situés à égale distance d un point donné; solide délimité par cette surface (⇒ 1. balle, 1. bille, boule). Centre,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sphere — Sphère Pour les articles homonymes, voir Sphère (homonymie). Une sphère dans un espace euclidien En géométrie euclidienne, une sphère es …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sphere — SPHERE. s. f. Terme de Geometrie. Corps solide dont toutes les lignes tirées du centre à la circonference sont esgales. Sphere, se prend plus ordinairement pour Une espece de machine ronde & mobile, composée des divers cercles qui representent… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • 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. [1913 Webster] 2.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • -sphère — ⇒ SPHÈRE, élém. formant Élém. tiré du subst. fr. sphère, entrant dans la constr. de subst. fém., plus rarement masc. A. GÉOPHYS., ASTRON. [Sur le modèle de atmosphère; les mots constr. désignent des couches de la sphère terrestre ou de son… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • sphere — [sfıə US sfır] n [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: espere, from Latin sphaera, from Greek sphaira ball, sphere ] 1.) a ball shape 2.) a particular area of activity, work, knowledge etc in ... sphere ▪ television s increasing role in the… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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  • sphere — [sfir] n. [ME spere < OFr espere < L sphaera < Gr sphaira] 1. any round body or figure having the surface equally distant from the center at all points; globe; ball 2. a star, planet, etc. 3. the visible heavens; sky 4. short for… …   English World dictionary

  • 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. [1913 Webster] The glorious planet Sol In noble eminence enthroned and sphered Amidst the other. Shak. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sphere — (n.) 1530s, restored spelling of M.E. spere (c.1300) space, conceived as a hollow globe about the world, from O.Fr. espere (13c.), from L. sphæra globe, ball, celestial sphere, from Gk. sphaira globe, ball, of unknown origin. Sense of ball, body… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Sphere — – Die Gedanken des Bösen ist ein Roman des US amerikanischen Schriftstellers Michael Crichton aus dem Jahr 1987. Das Buch wurde 1997 unter dem Titel Sphere – Die Macht aus dem All von Barry Levinson verfilmt. Handlung Der Psychologe Dr. Norman… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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