Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SPHAG'NOUS, a. [sphagnum, bog-moss. Linnæus.]

Pertaining to bog-moss; mossy. – Bigelow.

SPHENE, n. [Gr. σφην, a wedge.]

A mineral composed of silicic acid, titanic acid, and lime. Its colors are dull yellow, green, gray, brown, and black. It is found amorphous and in crystals. The primary form of its crystal is an oblique rhombic prism.

SPHE-NOID', or SPHE-NOID'AL, a. [Gr. σφην; a wedge, and ειδος, form.]

Resembling a wedge. The sphenoid bone, is the pterygoid bone of the basis of the skull. – Coxe.

SPHERE, n. [Fr. from L. sphæra, Gr. σφαιρα, whence It. sfera, Sp. esfera, G. sphäre.]

1. In geometry, a solid body contained under a single surface, which in every part is equally distant from a point called its center. The earth is not an exact sphere. The sun appears to be a sphere.
2. An orb or globe of the mundane system. First the sun, a mighty sphere, he fram'd. – Milton. Then mortal ears / Had heard the music of the spheres. – Dryden.
3. An orbicular body, or a circular figure representing the earth or apparent heavens. – Dryden.
4. Circuit of motion; revolution; orbit; as, the diurnal sphere. – Milton.
5. The concave or vast orbicular expanse in which the heavenly orbs appear.
6. Circuit of action, knowledge or influence; compass; province; employment. Every man has his particular sphere of action, in which it should be his ambition to excel. Events of this kind have repeatedly fallen within the sphere of my knowledge. This man treats of matters not within his sphere.
7. Rank; order of society. Persons moving in a higher sphere claim more deference. Sphere of activity of a body, the whole space or extent reached by the effluvia emitted from it. – Encyc. A right sphere, that aspect of the heavens in which the circles of daily motion of the heavenly bodies, arc perpendicular to the horizon. A spectator at the equator views a right sphere. A parallel sphere, that in which the circles of daily motion are parallel to the horizon. A spectator at either of the poles, would view a parallel sphere. An oblique sphere, that in which the circles of daily motion are oblique to the horizon, as is the case to a spectator at any point between the equator and either pole. Armillary sphere, an artificial representation of the circles of the sphere, by means of brass rings.

SPHERE, v.t.

1. To place in a sphere. The glorious planet Sol / In noble eminence enthron'd, and spher'd / Amidst the rest. [Unusual.] – Shak.
2. To form into roundness; as, light sphered in a radiant cloud. – Milton.

SPHERE-BORN, a.

Born among the spheres. – Milton.

SPHER'ED, pp.

Placed in a sphere.

SPHERE-DE-SCEND'ED, a.

Descended from the spheres.

SPHERE-MEL'O-DY, n.

Melody of the spheres. – Carlisle.

SPHERE-MU-SIC, n.

The music or harmony of the spheres. – Ed. Rev.

SPHER'IC, or SPHER-IC'AL, a. [It. sferico; Fr. spherique; L. sphæricus.]

1. Globular; orbicular; having a surface in every part equally distant from the center; as, a spherical body. Drops of water take a spherical form.
2. Planetary; relating to the orbs of the planets. We make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon and the stars, as if we were villains by spherical predominance. – Shak. Spherical geometry, that branch of geometry which treats of spherical magnitudes. Spherical triangle, a triangle formed by the mutual intersection of three great circles of the sphere. Spherical trigonometry, that branch of trigonometry which teaches to compute the sides and angles of spherical triangles.

SPHER'IC-AL-LY, adv.

In the form of a sphere.

SPHER'IC-AL-NESS, or SPHER'IC'I-TY, n.

The state or quality of being orbicular or spherical; roundness as, the sphericity of a drop of water.

SPHER'I-CLE, n.

A small sphere.

SPHER'ICS, n.

The doctrine of the sphere.

SPHE-ROID', n. [Gr. σφαιρα, a sphere, and ειδος, form.]

A body or figure approaching to a sphere, but not perfectly spherical. A spheroid is oblate or prolate. The earth found to be an oblate spheroid, that is, flatted at the poles whereas some astronomers formerly supposed it to be prolate or oblong.

SPHE-ROID'AL, or SPHE-ROID'IC, a. [or SPHE-ROID'IC-AL.]

1. Having the form of a spheroid. – Cheyne.
2. In crystalography, bounded by several convex faces.

SPHE-ROID'I-TY, n.

The state or quality of being spheroidal.

SPHE-ROM'E-TER, n. [Gr. σφαιρα and μετρον.]

An instrument for measuring the thickness of small bodies, the curvature of optical glasses, &c. – Brande.

SPHE-RO-SID'ER-ITE, n.

A substance found in the basaltic compact lava of Steinheim; called also glass lava or hyatite.

SPHER'ULE, n. [L. sphærula.]

A little sphere or spherical body. Mercury or quicksilver when poured upon a plane, divides itself into a great number of minute spherules.

SPHER'U-LITE, n.

A variety of obsidian or pearl-stone, found in rounded grains. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

SPHER'Y, a.

1. Belonging to the spheres. – Milton.
2. Round; spherical. – Shak.

SPHINC'TER, n. [from Gr. σφιγγω, to constrain, to draw close.]

In anatomy, a muscle that contracts or shuts; as, the sphincter labiorum; sphincter vesicæ. – Coxe.

SPHINX, n. [Gr. σφιγξ; L. sphinx.]

1. A famous monster in Egypt, having the body of a lion a the face of a young woman. – Peacham.
2. In entomology, the hawk-moth, a genus of insects.