lithosphere

[ lith-uh-sfeer ]

/ ˈlɪθ əˌsfɪər /

noun Geology.

the solid portion of the earth (distinguished from atmosphere, hydrosphere).

the crust and upper mantle of the earth.

Nearby words

lithoprint, lithops, lithoscope, lithosere, lithosol, lithosphere, lithospheric, lithostatic, lithostratigraphy, lithotomic, lithotomy

Origin of lithosphere

First recorded in 1885–90; litho- + -sphere

Also called ge·o·sphere

[jee-uh-sfeer] /ˈdʒi əˌsfɪər/.

Related formslith·o·spher·ic

[lith-uh-sfer-ik] /ˌlɪθ əˈsfɛr ɪk/, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for lithosphere

Thus were formed the oceanic basin and the continental arches of the lithosphere.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, February 1900|Various
Above the metallic core of the planet, the lithosphere consists exclusively of fluorides of the metals.
Uller Uprising|Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr
Our globe is a cooling and contracting body, and depression must always be the prevailing movement of the lithosphere.
Fragments of Earth Lore|James Geikie
By their action upon the lithosphere they have produced a third envelope,—the mantle of rock waste.
The Elements of Geology|William Harmon Norton

The dark, cold abysses of the ocean are far less affected by change than any other portion of the surface of the lithosphere.
The Elements of Geology|William Harmon Norton

British Dictionary definitions for lithosphere

lithosphere

/ (ˈlɪθəˌsfɪə) /

noun

the rigid outer layer of the earth, having an average thickness of about 75 km and comprising the earth's crust and the solid part of the mantle above the asthenosphere

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

Word Origin and History for lithosphere

lithosphere

"solid part of the earth's surface," 1881; see litho- "stone" + sphere.

Science definitions for lithosphere

lithosphere

[ lĭth′ə-sfîr′ ]

The outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle. It is about 55 km (34 mi) thick beneath the oceans and up to about 200 km (124 mi) thick beneath the continents. The high velocity with which seismic waves propagate through the lithosphere suggests that it is completely solid. Compare asthenosphere atmosphere hydrosphere.

Culture definitions for lithosphere

lithosphere

[ (lith-uh-sfeer) ]

The outer layer of the Earth, comprising the crust and the upper part of the mantle. The lithosphere is about sixty miles thick.