- at|mos|phere
- at|mos|phere «AT muh sfihr», noun.1. the air that surrounds the earth; the mass of gases that surrounds the earth and is held to it by the force of gravity.2. the mass of gases that surrounds, or may surround, any heavenly body: »
The atmosphere of Venus is cloudy.
3. the air in any given place: »Most cities no longer have a clear atmosphere. Our cellar has a damp atmosphere.
4. Figurative. mental or moral surroundings; surrounding influence: »Nuns live in a religious atmosphere. Genius can only breathe freely in an atmosphere of freedom (John Stuart Mill).
5. Figurative. the coloring or feeling that pervades a work of art: »music steeped in the atmosphere of old Vienna, the mysterious atmosphere of “Treasure Island.”
6. Physics. a unit of pressure equal to 14.7 pounds per square inch or 1033.2 grams per square centimeter. The pressure exerted by the air on the earth's surface at sea level is about one atmosphere. It is defined as the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 millimeters high at 0 degrees centigrade (Celsius) at sea level. Abbr: atm.╂[< New Latin atmosphaera < Greek atmós vapor + sphaîra sphere]–at´mos|phere|less, adjective.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.