Atmosphere

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Atmosphere \At"mos*phere\, n. [Gr. ? vapor (akin to Skr.
     [=a]tman breath, soul, G. athem breath) + ? sphere: cf. F.
     atmosph[`e]re. See {Sphere}.]
     1. (Physics)
        (a) The whole mass of a["e]riform fluid surrounding the
            earth; -- applied also to the gaseous envelope of any


            celestial orb, or other body; as, the atmosphere of
            Mars.
        (b) Any gaseous envelope or medium.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  An atmosphere of cold oxygen.     --Miller.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A supposed medium around various bodies; as, electrical
        atmosphere, a medium formerly supposed to surround
        electrical bodies. --Franklin.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. The pressure or weight of the air at the sea level, on a
        unit of surface, or about 14.7 lbs. to the sq. inch.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Hydrogen was liquefied under a pressure of 650
              atmospheres.                          --Lubbock.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Any surrounding or pervading influence or condition.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The chillest of social atmospheres.   --Hawthorne.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. The portion of air in any locality, or affected by a
        special physical or sanitary condition; as, the atmosphere
        of the room; a moist or noxious atmosphere.
        [1913 Webster] Atmospheric

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  atmosphere
       n 1: a particular environment or surrounding influence; "there
            was an atmosphere of excitement" [syn: {ambiance}, {ambience}]
       2: a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column
          of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees
          centigrade [syn: {standard atmosphere}, {atm}, {standard
          pressure}]
       3: the mass of air surrounding the Earth; "there was great heat
          as the comet entered the atmosphere"; "it was exposed to
          the air" [syn: {air}]
       4: the weather or climate at some place; "the atmosphere was
          thick with fog" [syn: {atmospheric state}]
       5: the envelope of gases surrounding any celestial body
       6: a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or
          thing; "an air of mystery"; "the house had a neglected
          air"; "an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate's
          headquarters"; "the place had an aura of romance" [syn: {air},
           {aura}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  101 Moby Thesaurus words for "atmosphere":
     action, aerial, aerodynamics, aerosphere, air, ambience, ambient,
     anagnorisis, angle, architectonics, architecture, argument,
     arrangement, atmospheric, aura, background, balance, biosphere,
     brushwork, catastrophe, character, characteristic,
     characterization, climate, color, complication, composition,
     continuity, contrivance, denouement, design, development, device,
     draftsmanship, ecosphere, episode, fable, falling action, feel,
     feeling, flavor, fluid, gas, gaseous envelope, gimmick, grouping,
     halogen gas, impression, incident, individuality, inert gas, lift,
     line, local color, medium, milieu, mise-en-scene, mood, motif,
     movement, mythos, noosphere, note, overtone, painterliness,
     peculiarity, peripeteia, perspective, plan, plot, pneumatic,
     pneumatics, property, quality, recognition, rising action, scheme,
     secondary plot, semblance, sense, shading, shadow, slant, spirit,
     story, structure, subject, subplot, suggestion, surroundings,
     switch, technique, thematic development, theme, tone, topic,
     treatment, twist, undertone, values, welkin