Added 8 October 2026
atmosphere
/ˈætməsˌfɪə/ noun
In Latin: atmosphaera Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about atmosphere at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A particular environment or surrounding influence.
there was an atmosphere of excitement
- A unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade.
-
The mass of air surrounding the Earth.
there was great heat as the comet entered the atmosphere
Origin
Borrowed from French atmosphère, from New Latin atmosphaera, from Ancient Greek ἀτμός (atmós, “steam”) + σφαῖρα (sphaîra, “sphere”); corresponding to atmo- + -sphere.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)