[at.mo.spher.ics] n pl (1915) 1: audible disturbances produced in radio receiving apparatus by atmospheric electrical phenomena (as lightning); also: the electrical phenomena causing these disturbances
2: actions (as official statements) intended to create or suggest a particular atmosphere or mood in politics and esp. international relations; also: the mood so created or suggested
3: realistic detail added (as to a literary work) to create a mood