troposphere

[ trop-uh-sfeer, troh-puh- ]
See synonyms for troposphere on Thesaurus.com
nounMeteorology.
  1. the lowest layer of the atmosphere, 6 miles (10 km) high in some areas and as much as 12 miles (20 km) high in others, within which there is a steady drop in temperature with increasing altitude and within which nearly all cloud formations occur and weather conditions manifest themselves.

Origin of troposphere

1
First recorded in 1905–10; tropo- + sphere

Other words from troposphere

  • trop·o·spher·ic [trop-uh-sfer-ik, -sfeer-, troh-puh-], /ˌtrɒp əˈsfɛr ɪk, -ˈsfɪər-, ˌtroʊ pə-/, adjective

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British Dictionary definitions for troposphere

troposphere

/ (ˈtrɒpəˌsfɪə) /


noun
  1. the lowest atmospheric layer, about 18 kilometres (11 miles) thick at the equator to about 6 km (4 miles) at the Poles, in which air temperature decreases normally with height at about 6.5°C per km

Derived forms of troposphere

  • tropospheric (ˌtrɒpəˈsfɛrɪk), adjective

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 troposphere

troposphere

[ trōpə-sfîr′, trŏpə- ]


  1. The lowest and densest region of the Earth's atmosphere, extending from the Earth's surface to the tropopause. The troposphere is characterized by temperatures that decrease with increasing altitude. At the top of this region, temperatures are close to -55°C (-67°F). The weather, major wind systems, and cloud formations occur mostly in the troposphere. See also exosphere mesosphere stratosphere thermosphere. See illustration at atmosphere.

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

Cultural definitions for troposphere

troposphere

[ (troh-puh-sfeer, trop-uh-sfeer) ]


The lowest layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, extending from ground level to an altitude of seven to ten miles.

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.