atmosphere
[ at-muhs-feer ]
/ ˈæt məsˌfɪər /
noun
verb (used with object), at·mos·phered, at·mos·pher·ing.
to give an atmosphere to: The author had cleverly atmosphered the novel for added chills.
Origin of atmosphere
historical usage of atmosphere
Atmosphere has a very simple etymology: it comes from New Latin
atmosphaera, a compound noun composed of Greek
atmós “vapor, steam, odor” and
sphaîra “ball, globe, terrestrial or planetary sphere, eyeball, boxing gloves.” Neither Greek noun has a reliable etymology.
The earliest sense, from the mid-1600s, is found in early scientific writing, referring to “the gaseous envelope surrounding a heavenly body.” Figurative senses developed later: first “a surrounding or pervading mood,” referring to mental or psychological environment, in the late 1700s, and then, “a distinctive quality, as of a place; character,” referring to physical environment.
The earliest sense, from the mid-1600s, is found in early scientific writing, referring to “the gaseous envelope surrounding a heavenly body.” Figurative senses developed later: first “a surrounding or pervading mood,” referring to mental or psychological environment, in the late 1700s, and then, “a distinctive quality, as of a place; character,” referring to physical environment.
OTHER WORDS FROM atmosphere
at·mos·phere·less, adjectiveWords nearby atmosphere
Example sentences from the Web for atmosphere
British Dictionary definitions for atmosphere
atmosphere
/ (ˈætməsˌfɪə) /
noun
Derived forms of atmosphere
atmospheric or atmospherical, adjective atmospherically, adverbMedical definitions for atmosphere
atmosphere
[ ăt′mə-sfîr′ ]
n.
A gas surrounding a given body; a gaseous medium.
A unit of pressure equal to the air pressure at sea level, approximately equal to 1.01325 X 105 newtons per square meter.
Scientific definitions for atmosphere
atmosphere
[ ăt′mə-sfîr′ ]
The mixture of gases surrounding the Earth or other celestial body, held in place by gravity. It forms distinct layers at different heights. The Earth's atmosphere consists, in ascending order, of the troposphere (containing 90% of the atmosphere's mass), the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. The atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) and plays a major role in the water cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the carbon cycle. See more at exosphere mesosphere stratosphere thermosphere troposphere.
A unit of pressure equal to the pressure of the air at sea level, about 14.7 pounds per square inch, or 1,013 millibars.
Cultural definitions for atmosphere
notes for atmosphere
The atmosphere of the
Earth is roughly eighty percent
nitrogen and twenty percent
oxygen, with traces of other gases. (
See
ionosphere,
stratosphere,
and
troposphere.)