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 coördinate, 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.
Sphe*ric"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. sphéricité.] The quality or state of
being spherial; roundness; as, the sphericity of the planets, or of a
drop of water.
Spher"i*cle (?), n. A small sphere.
Spher"ics (?), n. (Math.) The doctrine of the sphere; the science of
the properties and relations of the circles, figures, and other
magnitudes of a sphere, produced by planes intersecting it; spherical
geometry and trigonometry.
||Sphe`ro*bac*te"ri*a (?), n. pl.; sing. Spherobacterium (&?;). [NL.
||See Sphere, and Bacterium.] (Biol.) See the Note under Microbacteria.
Sphe`ro*con"ic (?), n. (Geom.) A nonplane curve formed by the
intersection of the surface of an oblique cone with the surface of a
sphere whose center is at the vertex of the cone.
Spher"o*graph (?), n. [Sphere + -graph.] An instrument for facilitating
the practical use of spherics in navigation and astronomy, being
constructed of two cardboards containing various circles, and turning
upon each other in such a manner that any possible spherical triangle
may be readily found, and the measures of the parts read off by
inspection.
Sphe"roid (?), n. [L. spheroides ball-like, spherical, Gr. &?;&?;&?;;
&?;&?;&?;&?; sphere + &?;&?;&?; form: cf. F. sphéroïde.] A body or
figure approaching to a sphere, but not perfectly spherical; esp., a
solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about one of its axes.
Oblate spheroid, Prolate spheroid. See Oblate, Prolate, and Ellipsoid.
Sphe*roid"al (?), a. [Cf. F. sphéroïdal.] Having the form of a
spheroid. -- Sphe*roid"al*ly, adv.
Spheroidal state (Physics.), the state of a liquid, as water, when, on
being thrown on a surface of highly heated metal, it rolls about in
spheroidal drops or masses, at a temperature several degrees below
ebullition, and without actual contact with the heated surface, -- a
phenomenon due to the repulsive force of heat, the intervention of a
cushion of nonconducting vapor, and the cooling effect of evaporation.
{ Sphe*roid"ic (?), Sphe*roid"ic*al (?), } a. See Spheroidal. Cheyne.
{ Sphe`roi*dic"i*ty (?), Sphe*roid"i*ty (?), } n. The quality or state
of being spheroidal.
Sphe"ro*mere (?), n. [Sphere + -mere.] (Zoöl.) Any one of the several
symmetrical segments arranged around the central axis and composing the
body of a radiate anmal.
Sphe*rom"e*ter (?), n. [Sphere + -meter: cf. F. sphéromètre.] (Physics)
An instrument for measuring the curvature of spherical surface, as of
lenses for telescope, etc.
Spher`o*sid"er*ite (?), n. [Sphere + siderite.] (Min.) Siderite
occuring in spheroidal masses.
Sphe"ro*some (?), n. [Sphere + -some body.] (Zoöl.) The body wall of
any radiate animal.
Spher"u*late (?), a. Covered or set with spherules; having one or more
rows of spherules, or minute tubercles.
Spher"ule (?), n. [L. spherula: cf. F. sphérule.] A little sphere or
spherical body; as, quicksilver, when poured upon a plane, divides
itself into a great number of minute spherules.
Spher"u*lite (?), n. [Cf. F. sphérulite.] (Min.) A minute spherical
crystalline body having a radiated structure, observed in some vitreous
volcanic rocks, as obsidian and pearlstone.
Spher`u*lit"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to a spherulite; characterized
by the presence of spherulites.
Spher"y (?), a. 1. Round; spherical; starlike. [R.] "Hermia's sphery
eyne." Shak.