Sphere

Sphere, sfēr, n. a ball or globe: an orb or circle: circuit of motion: province or duty: definite range: rank, position in society: (geom.) a surface every point of which is equidistant from one and the same point, called the centre.—adjs. Sphēr′al; Sphere′less.—ns. Sphere′-met′al (Milt.), metal like that of which the celestial spheres were anciently supposed to be made; Sphere′-mū′sic, the music of the spheres.—adjs. Spher′ic, -al, pertaining to, or like, a sphere.—n. Spherical′ity.—adv. Spher′ically.—ns. Spher′icalness, Spheric′ity, state or quality of being spherical: roundness; Spher′icle, a little sphere; Spher′ics, the geometry and trigonometry of the sphere; Sphē′roid, a body or figure nearly spherical, but not quite so—a species of ellipsoid (prolate spheroid, a slightly lengthened sphere; oblate spheroid, a slightly flattened sphere).—adj. Sphēroi′dal, having the form of a spheroid.—ns. Sphēroidi′city, Sphēroid′ity, the state of being spheroidal; Sphē′romēre, one of the symmetrical segments of a radiate; Sphērom′eter, an instrument for measuring the sphericity of portions of spherical surfaces—for example, lenses; Sphē′rosid′erite, the name given to impure or earthy and frequently concretionary varieties of carbonate of iron.—adj. Spher′ūlar.—ns. Spher′ūle, a little sphere; Spher′ūlite, a radiating spherical group of minute acicular crystals common in silicious volcanic rocks.—adjs. Spherūlit′ic; Sphē′ry, spherical, round: belonging to the celestial spheres. [Fr.,—L. sphæra—Gr. sphaira.]