SPHERE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does sphere mean? 

• SPHERE (noun)
  The noun SPHERE has 7 senses:

1. a particular environment or walk of life

2. any spherically shaped artifact

3. the geographical area in which one nation is very influential

4. a particular aspect of life or activity

5. a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses)

6. a three-dimensional closed surface such that every point on the surface is equidistant from the center

7. the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

  Familiarity information: SPHERE used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPHERE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A particular environment or walk of life

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

area; arena; domain; field; orbit; sphere

Context example:

he's out of my orbit

Hypernyms ("sphere" is a kind of...):

environment (the totality of surrounding conditions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sphere"):

distaff (the sphere of work by women)

front (a sphere of activity involving effort)

kingdom; land; realm (a domain in which something is dominant)

lap (an area of control or responsibility)

political arena; political sphere (a sphere of intense political activity)

preserve (a domain that seems to be specially reserved for someone)

province; responsibility (the proper sphere or extent of your activities)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any spherically shaped artifact

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("sphere" is a kind of...):

artefact; artifact (a man-made object taken as a whole)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sphere"):

globe (a sphere on which a map (especially of the earth) is represented)

Derivation:

spheric; spherical (having the shape of a sphere or ball)

spherical (of or relating to spheres or resembling a sphere)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The geographical area in which one nation is very influential

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

sphere; sphere of influence

Hypernyms ("sphere" is a kind of...):

geographic area; geographic region; geographical area; geographical region (a demarcated area of the Earth)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A particular aspect of life or activity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

sector; sphere

Context example:

he was helpless in an important sector of his life

Hypernyms ("sphere" is a kind of...):

aspect; facet (a distinct feature or element in a problem)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sphere"):

department (a specialized sphere of knowledge)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("sphere" is a kind of...):

round shape (a shape that is curved and without sharp angles)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sphere"):

conglobation; conglomeration (a rounded spherical form)

ball; globe; orb (an object with a spherical shape)

bead; drop; pearl (a shape that is spherical and small)

Derivation:

spheric (having the shape of a sphere or ball)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A three-dimensional closed surface such that every point on the surface is equidistant from the center

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("sphere" is a kind of...):

round shape (a shape that is curved and without sharp angles)

Meronyms (parts of "sphere"):

sr; steradian (the unit of solid angle adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites)

Derivation:

spheric; spherical (having the shape of a sphere or ball)

Sense 7

Meaning:

The apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

celestial sphere; empyrean; firmament; heavens; sphere; vault of heaven; welkin

Hypernyms ("sphere" is a kind of...):

surface (the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object)

Meronyms (parts of "sphere"):

apex; apex of the sun's way; solar apex (the point on the celestial sphere toward which the sun and solar system appear to be moving relative to the fixed stars)

celestial point (a point in the heavens (on the celestial sphere))

nadir (the point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected)

zenith (the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected)

zodiac (a belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic; divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes)

 Context examples 

A solid in the shape of a small sphere.

(Bead Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

If you were sensible of your own good, you would not wish to quit the sphere in which you have been brought up.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

You are not in your true sphere.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This sphere could serve as a tiny storage and transport container, much like the spheres that lipid bilayers can form.

(NASA Finds Moon of Saturn Has Chemical That Could Form ‘Membranes’, NASA)

Globular star clusters are huge spheres of tens of thousands of stars that orbit most galaxies.

(Odd Behaviour of Star Reveals Lonely Black Hole Hiding in Giant Star Cluster, ESO)

The sphere in which she moves is much above his.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The man meant no insult, you understand, but that class of people must be kept in their proper sphere.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Though C60, referring to the number of carbon atoms that make up one sphere, is the most common fullerene, researchers have found stable, spherical carbon structures containing 70 atoms (C70), 120 (C120), 180 (C180), and others.

(Buckyball, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Unicellular, prokaryotic organisms that reproduce by cell division and usually have cell walls; can be shaped like spheres, rods or spirals and can be found in virtually any environment.

(Bacteria, NCI Thesaurus)

A form of carbon related to fullerenes, except that the carbon atoms form extended hollow tubes instead of closed, hollow spheres.

(Carbon Nanotubes, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)