the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth; the air.
2.
this medium at a given place.
3.
Astronomy. the gaseous envelope surrounding a heavenly body.
4.
Chemistry. any gaseous envelope or medium.
5.
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 in. (760 mm) high. Abbreviation:atm.
6.
a surrounding or pervading mood, environment, or influence: an atmosphere of impending war; a very tense atmosphere.
7.
the dominant mood or emotional tone of a work of art, as of a play or novel: the chilly atmosphere of a ghost story.
8.
a distinctive quality, as of a place; character: The old part of town has lots of atmosphere.
–verb (used with object)
9.
to give an atmosphere to: The author had cleverly atmosphered the novel for added chills.
The gaseous mass or envelope surrounding a celestial body, especially the one surrounding the earth, and retained by the celestial body's gravitational field.
The air or climate in a specific place.
Abbr. atmPhysics A unit of pressure equal to the air pressure at sea level. It equals the amount of pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 millimeters high at 0 degrees Celsius under standard gravity, or 14.7 pounds per square inch (1.01325 × 105 pascals). See Table at measurement.
A dominant intellectual or emotional environment or attitude: an atmosphere of distrust among the electorate.
The dominant tone or mood of a work of art.
An aesthetic quality or effect, especially a distinctive and pleasing one, associated with a particular place: a restaurant with an Old World atmosphere.
[New Latin atmosphaera : Greek atmos, vapor; see wet-1 in Indo-European roots + Latin sphaera, sphere; see sphere.]
1638, from Mod.L. atmosphaera (1638), from Gk. atmos "vapor" + spharia "sphere." First used in Eng. in connection with the Moon, which, as it turns out, doesn't have one. Figurative sense of "surrounding influence, mental or moral environment" is 1797.
a particular environment or surrounding influence; "there was an atmosphere of excitement"
2.
a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade [syn: standard atmosphere]
3.
the mass of air surrounding the Earth; "there was great heat as the comet entered the atmosphere"; "it was exposed to the air"
4.
the weather or climate at some place; "the atmosphere was thick with fog"
5.
the envelope of gases surrounding any celestial body
6.
a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; "an air of mystery"; "the house had a neglected air"; "an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate's headquarters"; "the place had an aura of romance" [syn: air]
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, mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, troposphere.
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.
Main Entry: at·mo·sphere Pronunciation: 'at-m&-"sfi(&)r Function: noun 1: the whole mass of air surrounding the earth 2: the air of a locality 3: a unit of pressure equal to the pressure of the air at sea level or to 101,325 pascals or to approximately 14.7 pounds per square inch
—at·mo·spher·ic/"at-m&-'sfi(&)r-ik, -'sfer-/adjective
At"mos*phere\, n. [Gr. ? vapor (akin to Skr. [=a]tman breath, soul, G. athem breath) + ? sphere: cf. F. atmosph[`e]re. See Sphere.]1. (Physics) (a) The whole mass of a["e]riform fluid surrounding the earth; -- applied also to the gaseous envelope of any celestial orb, or other body; as, the atmosphere of Mars. (b) Any gaseous envelope or medium. An atmosphere of cold oxygen. --Miller. 2. A supposed medium around various bodies; as, electrical atmosphere, a medium formerly supposed to surround electrical bodies. --Franklin. 3. The pressure or weight of the air at the sea level, on a unit of surface, or about 14.7 Ibs. to the sq. inch. Hydrogen was liquefied under a pressure of 650 atmospheres. --Lubbock. 4. Any surrounding or pervading influence or condition. The chillest of social atmospheres. --Hawthorne. 5. The portion of air in any locality, or affected by a special physical or sanitary condition; as, the atmosphere of the room; a moist or noxious atmosphere.
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