Sphere
Definition
A sphere is a three-dimensional geometric figure that is perfectly round and symmetrical, with every point on its surface equidistant from its center. It also refers to a field or domain of activity, interest, or expertise.
Parts of Speech
- Noun
Pronunciation
American English
- IPA Pronunciation: /sfɪər/
- Respelling: SFEER (with "SFEER" rhyming with "fear" and "peer")
British English
- IPA Pronunciation: /sfɪə/
- Respelling: SFEER (similar to American English, with "SFEER" rhyming with "fear" and "peer")
In both dialects, "sphere" is pronounced with a long "ee" sound, as in "fear" or "peer." The pronunciation of "sphere" is consistent between American and British English, reflecting the word's straightforward phonetic structure.
Etymology
The word "sphere" originates from the Old French "espere" (12c.), from Latin "sphaera" which referred to a globe or celestial sphere, from Greek "sphaira" meaning "globe, ball," which might have connections with the Greek verb "sphoira" meaning "to sweep, to clean."
Derivatives
- Spherical
- Spheroid
- Hemispherical
- Sphereless
- Spherule
Synonyms
- Orb
- Globe
- Ball
Antonyms
- Cube
- Square
- Rectangle
Usage
The term "sphere" is frequently used in mathematics, geometry, and physics to describe a three-dimensional round object. It also has a broader, more abstract use in referencing domains or fields of influence or activity.
Related Terms
- Sphericity
- Spherical geometry
- Hemisphere
- Spheroid
- Circlesphere
Detailed Definition
Noun
- Geometric Shape: A sphere is a three-dimensional object characterized by its perfectly round shape, where all points on its surface are equidistant from its center.
- Example: "The earth is not a perfect sphere due to its flattened poles."
- Field or Domain: A sphere can also refer to a particular environment or domain characterized by a specific activity, interest, or expertise.
- Example: "The public sphere is where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems."
- Celestial Body: Historically, "sphere" has also referred to celestial bodies or the crystalline spheres believed to carry the planets in ancient astronomy.
- Example: "The celestial sphere is an abstract sphere that has an arbitrarily large radius and is concentric to Earth."
sphere
The ball looked like a perfect sphere.
The earth is not a perfect sphere due to its flattened poles.
Her sphere of interest is ancient history.
🇨🇳 Mandarin (Simplified Chinese)
- 球体 (qiútǐ) [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /tɕʰjow˨˩˦.thi˨˩˦/
- Respelling in English: chyou-tee
- 领域 (lǐngyù) [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /liŋ˨˩˦.y˨˩/
- Respelling in English: ling-yoo
🇮🇳 Hindi
- गोल (gol) [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /ɡoːl/
- Respelling in English: gole
- क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /kʃeː.t̪rə/
- Respelling in English: ksheh-tra
🇪🇸 Spanish
- esfera [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /esˈfeɾa/
- Respelling in English: es-FEH-ra
- ámbito [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈambito/
- Respelling in English: AM-bee-to
🇫🇷 French
- sphère [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /sfɛʁ/
- Respelling in English: sfehr
- domaine [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /dɔ.mɛn/
- Respelling in English: doh-MEN
🇸🇦 Modern Standard Arabic
- كرة (kurah) [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /kuːra/
- Respelling in English: koo-rah
- مجال (majāl) [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /maˈdʒaːl/
- Respelling in English: ma-JAAL
🇧🇩 Bengali
- গোলক (golok) [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /ɡolok/
- Respelling in English: go-lok
- ক্ষেত্র (kṣetra) [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /kʃeː.t̪rə/
- Respelling in English: ksheh-tra
🇷🇺 Russian
- сфера (sfera) [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /sfʲɪˈra/
- Respelling in English: sfee-RAH
- область (oblast') [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈobləsʲtʲ/
- Respelling in English: OB-last
🇵🇹 Portuguese
- esfera [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /isˈfɛ.ɾɐ/
- Respelling in English: ees-FEH-ra
- campo [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈkɐ̃.pu/
- Respelling in English: KAHM-poo
🇮🇩 Indonesian
- bola [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /bola/
- Respelling in English: boh-lah
🇩🇪 German
- Kugel [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈkuː.ɡəl/
- Respelling in English: KOO-gel
- Bereich [an area of activity, influence, or expertise]
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈbeː.ʁaɪ̯ç/
- Respelling in English: BAY-rikh
🇯🇵 Japanese
- 球 (kyū) [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /kʲuː/
- Respelling in English: kyoo
🇻🇳 Vietnamese
- hình cầu [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /hiŋ˧˧ kaw˨˩/
- Respelling in English: hing cow
🇰🇷 Korean
- 구체 (guche) [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /ku.t͡ɕʰe/
- Respelling in English: goo-che
🇹🇷 Turkish
- küre [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /kyːˈɾe/
- Respelling in English: koo-REH
🇵🇰 Urdu
- کرہ (kurah) [a round three-dimensional object]
- IPA Pronunciation: /kʊˈraː/
- Respelling in English: koo-rah
