spherical
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
shaped like a sphere or a perfect ball.
having the three-dimensional shape of a sphere; globular.
Simple“The artist placed a large spherical stone in the center of the garden.”
In context“The telescope captured images of spherical gas clouds expanding outward from the dying star at incredible speeds.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
relating to spheres or the geometry of round objects.
of, relating to, or involving spheres or their mathematical properties.
Simple“We studied spherical geometry to understand how to map the Earth's surface.”
In context“Calculations in spherical trigonometry are essential for long-distance navigation and determining the positions of celestial bodies.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a way to find a point in space using a distance and two angles.
relating to a three-dimensional coordinate system where a position is defined by its distance from an origin and two angular coordinates.
Simple“The physicist used spherical coordinates to solve the gravity problem.”
In context“Converting the data into spherical coordinates allowed the researchers to model the acoustic reflections within the dome more accurately.”
UsageUsually modifies 'coordinates' or 'system'.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
relating to the old idea that stars and planets were fixed in giant invisible balls around the Earth.
relating to the celestial orbs or the concentric shells in which heavenly bodies were thought to be set in ancient astronomy.
Simple“Ancient scholars believed in the music of the spherical heavens.”
In context“The poet drew heavily upon the medieval concept of spherical harmony to describe the order of the universe.”
Synonyms
“The team tested the idea in 2014 with spherical particles, and the results suggested small grains could act as a weak cement between larger boulders.”
English spheric [from Latin sphaericus, from Ancient Greek σφαιρικός (sphairikós)] + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.