atmospheric
/ˌætməsˈfeɹɪk/at-muhs-FEH-rik
/ˌætməsˈfɛɹɪk/at-muhs-FEH-rik
Meaningrelating to the atmosphere
Common meaning: of the air
Other meanings: creating a mood
- atmoGreek element: vapour (atmos)
- spherround body, ballLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 1510 (approximate) · scan
- icadjective ending: relating to
‘vapour (atmos)’ + ‘round body, ball’ → atmospheric
Journey through time
- Greekσφαῖρα‘round body, ball’
- Englishatmosphere‘the air around the earth’
- Englishformed in English from atmosphereatmospheric‘of the air’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from atmosphere + -ic.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), ATMOSPHERE, p.40 · scan
Roots
- σφαῖρα Greek “round body, ball”
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