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stratosphere

[ strat-uh-sfeer ]
/ ˈstræt əˌsfɪər /
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See synonyms for: stratosphere / stratospheric on Thesaurus.com
noun
the region of the upper atmosphere extending upward from the tropopause to about 30 miles (50 km) above the earth, characterized by little vertical change in temperature.
(formerly) all of the earth's atmosphere lying outside the troposphere.
any great height or degree, as the highest point of a graded scale.

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Origin of stratosphere

First recorded in 1905–10; strat(um) + -o- + sphere

OTHER WORDS FROM stratosphere

strat·o·spher·ic [strat-uh-sfer-ik, -sfeer-], /ˌstræt əˈsfɛr ɪk, -ˈsfɪər-/, strat·o·spher·i·cal, adjective

Words nearby stratosphere

stratigraphy, strato-, stratocracy, stratocumulus, stratopause, stratosphere, stratovolcano, Stratton, stratum, stratum title, stratus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to stratosphere

atmosphere, breeze, wind, blast, draft, heavens, ozone, puff, sky, troposphere, ventilation, waft, whiff, zephyr, breath, firmament, heaven

How to use stratosphere in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stratosphere

stratosphere
/ (ˈstrætəˌsfɪə) /
noun
the atmospheric layer lying between the troposphere and the mesosphere, in which temperature generally increases with height

Derived forms of stratosphere

stratospheric (ˌstrætəˈsfɛrɪk) or stratospherical, 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

Scientific definitions for stratosphere

stratosphere
[ străt′ə-sfîr′ ]
The region of the Earth's atmosphere extending from the tropopause to about 50 km (31 mi) above the Earth's surface. The stratosphere is characterized by the presence of ozone gas (in the ozone layer) and by temperatures which rise slightly with altitude, due to the absorption of ultraviolet radiation. See also exosphere mesosphere thermosphere troposphere. See illustration at atmosphere.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for stratosphere

stratosphere
[ (strat-uh-sfeer) ]

The region of the atmosphere of the Earth above the troposphere. The stratosphere begins at an altitude of seven to ten miles and extends to approximately thirty miles.

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.
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