hydrosphere

[ hahy-druh-sfeer ]

/ ˈhaɪ drəˌsfɪər /

noun

the water on or surrounding the surface of the globe, including the water of the oceans and the water in the atmosphere.

Nearby words

Origin of hydrosphere

First recorded in 1885–90; hydro-¹ + -sphere

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hydrosphere

We all exist in the hydrosphere, all downstream from one another.
Why Is Jacques Cousteau's Granddaughter Driving John McCain's Bus?|Lloyd Grove|April 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
As the heat of the interior increased, these gases transpired to the surface and formed the primitive atmosphere and hydrosphere.
The Elements of Geology|William Harmon Norton
The question of the origin of the Atlantic basin, like that of the other great divisions of the hydrosphere, is still unsettled.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 8|Various

British Dictionary definitions for hydrosphere

hydrosphere

/ (ˈhaɪdrəˌsfɪə) /

noun

the watery part of the earth's surface, including oceans, lakes, water vapour in the atmosphere, etc

Derived Formshydrospheric, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for hydrosphere

hydrosphere

[ hī′drə-sfîr′ ]

All of the Earth's water, including surface water (water in oceans, lakes, and rivers), groundwater (water in soil and beneath the Earth's surface), snowcover, ice, and water in the atmosphere, including water vapor. Compare asthenosphere atmosphere lithosphere.