n.
Pronunciation: ' sfir
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English spere globe, celestial sphere, from Anglo-French espere, from Latin sphaera, from Greek sphaira, literally, ball; perhaps akin to Greek spairein to quiver ― more at SPURN
Date: 14th century
1 a (1) : the apparent surface of the heavens of which half forms the dome of the visible sky (2) : any of the concentric and eccentric revolving spherical transparent shells in which according to ancient astronomy stars, sun, planets, and moon are set b : a globe depicting such a sphere broadly : GLOBE A
2 a : a globular body : BALL b : PLANET , STAR c (1) : a solid that is bounded by a surface consisting of all points at a given distance from a point constituting its center ― see VOLUME table (2) : the bounding surface of a sphere
3 : natural, normal, or proper place especially : social order or rank <not in the same sphere as his moneyed friends>
4 a obsolete : ORBIT b : an area or range over or within which someone or something acts, exists, or has influence or significance <the public sphere >
– spher · ic \ ' sfir-ik, ' sfer- \ adjective archaic
– sphe · ric · i · ty \ sfir- ' i-s ə -t ē \ noun