spherical

American  

[sfer-i-kuhl, sfeer-] / ˈsfɛr ɪ kəl, ˈsfɪər- /

Often spheric

adjective

1. having the form of a sphere; globular.

   Synonyms:

   rounded

2. formed in or on a sphere, as a figure.

3. of or relating to a sphere or spheres.

4. pertaining to the heavenly bodies, or to their supposed revolving spheres or shells.

5. pertaining to the heavenly bodies regarded astrologically as exerting influence on humankind and events.

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spherical British  

/ ˈsfɛrɪkəl /

adjective

1. shaped like a sphere

2. of or relating to a sphere

   spherical geometry

3. geometry formed on the surface of or inside a sphere

   a spherical triangle

4. 1. of or relating to heavenly bodies

   2. of or relating to the spheres of the Ptolemaic or the Copernican system

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Other Word Forms

• nonspheric adjective
• nonspherical adjective
• nonsphericality noun
• nonspherically adverb
• quasi-spherical adjective
• quasi-spherically adverb
• sphericality noun
• spherically adverb
• sphericalness noun
• subspheric adjective
• subspherical adjective
• unspherical adjective

Etymology

Origin of spherical

1515–25; < Late Latin sphēric ( us ) ( spherics ¹ ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

The team found that sea silk's iridescence is created by a spherical protein structure known as "photonin."

From Science Daily

However, traditional mathematical models usually assume these particles are perfect spheres because spherical shapes make equations easier to solve.

From Science Daily

Other noteworthy pieces included dresses with spherical birdcage-inspired silhouettes, while other models wore transparent vest tops with their dresses gathered around their waists.

From Barron's

That is partly the result of viewing the spherical Earth on a flat map…

From The Wall Street Journal

By contrast, Cloud-9 is smaller, denser, and nearly spherical, giving it a distinctly different appearance from other known gas clouds.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• rounded