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atmosphere
[ at-muhs-feer ]
noun
- the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth; the air:
a weather balloon rising high into the atmosphere.
- this medium at a given place:
the warm, dry atmosphere of the Joshua tree's natural environment.
- Astronomy. the gaseous envelope surrounding a heavenly body:
The white ovals seen in Saturn's atmosphere could be intense storms.
- Chemistry. any gaseous envelope or medium:
The ether was treated with a sulfate in an atmosphere of coal gas.
- a conventional unit of pressure, the normal pressure of the air at sea level, about 14.7 pounds per square inch (101.3 kilopascals), equal to the pressure exerted by a column of mercury 29.92 inches (760 millimeters) high. : atm.
- a surrounding or pervading mood, environment, or influence:
an atmosphere of impending war;
a very tense atmosphere.
- the dominant mood or emotional tone of a work of art, as of a play or novel:
the chilly atmosphere of a ghost story.
- a distinctive quality, as of a place; character:
The old part of town has lots of atmosphere.
- Also ·Dz·, ·Dz []. Radio, Television, Movies. the background sound that is present, or would naturally be present, in the location where a recording or broadcast is made, often recorded as a separate track and then mixed; ambient sound.
verb (used with object)
- to give an atmosphere to:
The author had cleverly atmosphered the novel for added chills.
atmosphere
/ ˈæٳəˌɪə /
noun
- the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth or any other celestial body See also troposphere stratosphere mesosphere ionosphere
- the air or climate in a particular place
the atmosphere was thick with smoke
- a general pervasive feeling or mood
an atmosphere of elation
- the prevailing tone or mood of a novel, symphony, painting, or other work of art
- a special mood or character associated with a place
- any local gaseous environment or medium
an inert atmosphere
- a unit of pressure; the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at 0°C at sea level. 1 atmosphere is equivalent to 101 325 newtons per square metre or 14.72 pounds per square inch Abbreviationatatm
atmosphere
- 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
- 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.
Notes
Derived Forms
- ˌٳDzˈ, adverb
- ˌٳDzˈ, adjective
Other Word Forms
- ·Dz·phere·less adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of atmosphere1
Example Sentences
And the atmosphere for the American press is by no means friendly.
It developed theories for how fluids and gases interact and came to understand that the oceans and the atmosphere drive weather ⎯ what today has become known as climate science.
The Biomass satellite, from the European Space Agency, will "weigh" the Earth's forests, revealing how much planet-warming carbon is being stored within trees and therefore kept out of the atmosphere.
In this atmosphere, worrying but incorrect ideas can start to infect confidence.
Another potential drawback to the warm, sunny and calm conditions will be the build up of pollutants in the atmosphere.
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