solid angle

American  

noun

Geometry.

1. an angle formed by three or more planes intersecting in a common point or formed at the vertex of a cone.

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solid angle British  

noun

1. a geometric surface consisting of lines originating from a common point (the vertex) and passing through a closed curve or polygon: measured in steradians

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solid angle Scientific  

1. A three-dimensional angle, formed by three or more planes intersecting at a common point. Its magnitude is measured in steradians, a unitless measure. The corner of a room forms a solid angle, as does the apex of a cone; one can imagine an indefinite number of planes forming the smooth round surface of the cone all intersecting at the apex. Solid angles are commonly used in photometry.

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Etymology

Origin of solid angle

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

At all events, it has the advantage of communicating directly with both the rivers, by whose junction the Sungum, or solid angle, is formed.

From The Lieutenant and Commander Being Autobigraphical Sketches of His Own Career, from Fragments of Voyages and Travels by Hall, Basil

Pascal’s Theorem.—If a solid angle of six faces be inscribed in a cone of the second order, then the intersections of opposite faces are three lines in a plane.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various

So Angulus Superficiarius, a superficiall Angle, is a surface consisting in the common section of two lines: So angulus solidus, a solid angle, in the common section of three surfaces at the least.

From The Way To Geometry by Bedwell, William

Hence it is possible to form a solid angle with three, four or five regular triangles or faces.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various

If a solid angle be contained by three plane angles, any two of them are together greater than the third.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various