atmosphere

atmosphere

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at·mos·phere    Audio Help   (āt'mə-sfîr')  Pronunciation Key 


n.  
  1. The gaseous mass or envelope surrounding a celestial body, especially the one surrounding the earth, and retained by the celestial body's gravitational field.
  2. The air or climate in a specific place.
  3. Abbr. atm Physics 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.
  4. A dominant intellectual or emotional environment or attitude: an atmosphere of distrust among the electorate.
  5. The dominant tone or mood of a work of art.
  6. 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.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


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