This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
ionosphere
[ ahy-on-uh-sfeer ]
/ aɪˈɒn əˌsfɪər /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
the region of the earth's atmosphere between the stratosphere and the exosphere, consisting of several ionized layers and extending from about 50 to 250 miles (80 to 400 km) above the surface of the earth.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
OTHER WORDS FROM ionosphere
i·on·o·spher·ic [ahy-on-uh-sfer-ik], /aɪˌɒn əˈsfɛr ɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby ionosphere
ionomer, ionone, ionopause, ionophore, ionosonde, ionosphere, ionospheric wave, ionotropic receptor, ionotropy, ion propulsion, ion rocket
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ionosphere in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ionosphere
ionosphere
/ (aɪˈɒnəˌsfɪə) /
noun
Derived forms of ionosphere
ionospheric (aɪˌɒnəˈsfɛrɪk), adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for ionosphere
ionosphere
[ ī-ŏn′ə-sfîr′ ]
A region of the Earth's upper atmosphere, extending from a height of 70 km (43 mi) to 400 km (248 mi) and containing atoms that have been ionized by radiation from the Sun. The ionosphere lies mostly in the lower thermosphere and is subdivided into three regions, the D region (70 km to 90 km; 43 to 56 mi), the E region (90 km to 150 km; 56 to 93 mi), and the F region (150 km to 400 km; 93 to 248 mi). The concentration of ionized atoms is lowest in the D region, intermediate in the E region, and highest in the F region. The ionosphere is useful for radio transmission because radio waves, which normally propagate in straight lines, are reflected off the ionized gas particles, thereby being transmitted long distances across the Earth's curved surface. See more at D region E region F region.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for ionosphere
ionosphere
[ (eye-on-uh-sfeer) ]
A region of the atmosphere that begins at an altitude of about thirty miles.
notes for ionosphere
In this region, free particles carrying an electrical charge, atoms ionized (see ionization) by radiation from the sun, reflect radio waves. “Bouncing” radio waves off the ionosphere makes communication possible over long distances of the surface of the Earth.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.