Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

spher·i·cal       (sfîr'ĭ-kəl, sfěr'-)  Pronunciation Key  adj.   Having the shape of a sphere; globular. Having a shape approximating that of a sphere. Of or relating to a sphere. Of or relating to celestial bodies. spher'i·cal·ly adv., spher'i·cal·ness n.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

spherical
adjective
1.	of or relating to spheres or resembling a sphere; "spherical geometry" [ant: nonspherical]
2.	having the shape of a sphere or ball; "a spherical object"; "nearly orbicular in shape"; "little globular houses like mud-wasp nests"- Zane Grey [syn: ball-shaped]

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

spherical spher·i·cal (sfēr'ĭ-kəl, sfěr'-)
adj.
Having the shape of or approximating a sphere; globular.

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spher'i·cal·ness n.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Spherical

Spher"ic*al\, Spheric \Spher"ic\, a. [L. sphaericus, Gr. ???: cf. F. sph['e]rique.]

1. Having the form of a sphere; like a sphere; globular; orbicular; as, a spherical body.

2. Of or pertaining to a sphere.

3. Of or pertaining to the heavenly orbs, or to the sphere or spheres in which, according to ancient astronomy and astrology, they were set.

Knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical predominance. --Shak.

Though the stars were suns, and overburned Their spheric limitations. --Mrs. Browning.

Spherical angle, Spherical co["o]rdinate, Spherical excess, etc. See under Angle, Coordinate, etc.

Spherical geometry, that branch of geometry which treats of spherical magnitudes; the doctrine of the sphere, especially of the circles described on its surface.

Spherical harmonic analysis. See under Harmonic, a.

Spherical lune,portion of the surface of a sphere included between two great semicircles having a common diameter.

Spherical opening, the magnitude of a solid angle. It is measured by the portion within the solid angle of the surface of any sphere whose center is the angular point.

Spherical polygon,portion of the surface of a sphere bounded by the arcs of three or more great circles.

Spherical projection, the projection of the circles of the sphere upon a plane. See Projection.

Spherical sector. See under Sector.

Spherical segment, the segment of a sphere. See under Segment.

Spherical triangle,re on the surface of a sphere, bounded by the arcs of three great circles which intersect each other.

Spherical trigonometry. See Trigonometry. -- Spher"ic*al*ly, adv. -- Spher"ic*al*ness, n.