Spher·ic·al Spher·ic a.
1. Having the form of a sphere; like a sphere; globular; orbicular; as, a spherical body.
2. Of or pertaining to a sphere.
3. Of or pertaining to the heavenly orbs, or to the sphere or spheres in which, according to ancient astronomy and astrology, they were set.
Knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical predominance. --Shak.
Though the stars were suns, and overburned
Their spheric limitations. --Mrs. Browning.
Spherical angle, Spherical coordinate, Spherical excess, etc. See under Angle, Coordinate, etc.
Spherical geometry, that branch of geometry which treats of spherical magnitudes; the doctrine of the sphere, especially of the circles described on its surface.
Spherical harmonic analysis. See under Harmonic, a.
Spherical lune,portion of the surface of a sphere included between two great semicircles having a common diameter.
Spherical opening, the magnitude of a solid angle. It is measured by the portion within the solid angle of the surface of any sphere whose center is the angular point.
Spherical polygon,portion of the surface of a sphere bounded by the arcs of three or more great circles.
Spherical projection, the projection of the circles of the sphere upon a plane. See Projection.
Spherical sector. See under Sector.
Spherical segment, the segment of a sphere. See under Segment.
Spherical triangle,re on the surface of a sphere, bounded by the arcs of three great circles which intersect each other.
Spherical trigonometry. See Trigonometry.
-- Spher*ic*al*ly, adv. -- Spher*ic*al*ness, n.
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spheric
adj : having the shape of a sphere or ball; "a spherical object";
"nearly orbicular in shape"; "little globular houses
like mud-wasp nests"- Zane Grey [syn: ball-shaped, global,
globose, globular, orbicular, spherical]