at·mos·phere
(ăt́mə-sfîŕ)
[New Latin atmosphaera, Greek atmos, vapor, + Latin sphaera, sphere; see sphere.]
noun
- The gaseous mass or envelope surrounding a celestial body, especially the one surrounding the earth, and retained by the celestial body's gravitational field.
- The air or climate in a specific place.
- Physics A unit of pressure equal to the air pressure at sea level. It equals the amount of pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 millimeters high at 0 degrees Celsius under standard gravity, or 14.7 pounds per square inch (1.01325 × 105 pascals).
- A dominant intellectual or emotional environment or attitude: an atmosphere of distrust among the electorate.
- The dominant tone or mood of a work of art.
- An aesthetic quality or effect, especially a distinctive and pleasing one, associated with a particular place: a restaurant with an Old World atmosphere.
