terrestrial globe
Americannoun
Usage
What does terrestrial globe mean? A terrestrial globe is a three-dimensional model of Earth. It’s usually just called a globe. The word terrestrial means relating to or representing Earth as distinct from other planets. There are also globes representing the moon and other planets, but globes of Earth are most common. A celestial globe is one that represents space and depicts the locations of stars and constellations. Terrestrial globes are associated with their use in classrooms for the subject of geography. They show Earth’s water, land, and often its national borders. They’re also often labeled with the names of countries, cities, bodies of water, and other features. Sometimes, they show the 3D topography of Earth’s surface—features like mountains and valleys. Example: Using a terrestrial globe is a great way to have your students learn about geography.
Etymology
Origin of terrestrial globe
First recorded in 1550–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among personal artifacts was Steinbeck's chair and terrestrial globe, which sold for $1,800, below the $2,000 to $3,000 estimate.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 23, 2010
A terrestrial globe on an azure field, representing the ether, with the seven remaining planets in the sky around it.
From Time Magazine Archive
There is no need to animadvert to the deeds of that day, which shall resound, for weal or woe, as long as this terrestrial globe has habitation.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
After the translation of Ptolemy’s Geography there is a record of a terrestrial globe being made in 1443 ‘according to Ptolemy’s description’.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Hemispheroi′dal.—Eastern and Western hemispheres, the eastern and western halves of the terrestrial globe, the former including Europe, Asia, and Africa; the latter, the Americas.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
