biosphere

[ bahy-uh-sfeer ]
See synonyms for biosphere on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the part of the earth's crust, waters, and atmosphere that supports life.

  2. the ecosystem comprising the entire earth and the living organisms that inhabit it.

Origin of biosphere

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; from German Biosphäre; see bio-, -sphere

synonym study For biosphere

2. See ecosystem.

Other words from biosphere

  • bi·o·spher·ic [bahy-uh-sfer-ik], /ˌbaɪ əˈsfɛr ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for biosphere

biosphere

/ (ˈbaɪəˌsfɪə) /


noun
  1. the part of the earth's surface and atmosphere inhabited by living things

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for biosphere

biosphere

[ ə-sfîr′ ]


  1. The parts of the land, sea, and atmosphere in which organisms are able to live. The biosphere is an irregularly shaped, relatively thin zone in which life is concentrated on or near the Earth's surface and throughout its waters.

  2. All the Earth's ecosystems considered as a single, self-sustaining unit.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for biosphere

biosphere

[ (beye-uh-sfeer) ]


The thin outer shell of the Earth and the inner layers of its atmosphere; the place where all living systems are found.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.