Defn: The doctrine of the sphere; the science of the properties and relations of the circles, figures, and other magnitudes of a sphere, produced by planes intersecting it; spherical geometry and trigonometry.
SPHEROBACTERIA
Sphe`ro*bac*te"ri*a, n. pl.; sing. Spherobacterium (. Etym: [NL. See
Sphere, and Bacterium.] (Biol.)
Defn: See the Note under Microbacteria.
SPHEROCONIC
Sphe`ro*con"ic, n. (Geom.)
Defn: A nonplane curve formed by the intersection of the surface of an oblique cone with the surface of a sphere whose center is at the vertex of the cone.
SPHEROGRAPH
Spher"o*graph, n. Etym: [Sphere + -graph.]
Defn: An instrument for facilitating the practical use of spherics in navigation and astronomy, being constructed of two cardboards containing various circles, and turning upon each other in such a manner that any possible spherical triangle may be readily found, and the measures of the parts read off by inspection.
SPHEROID Sphe"roid, n. Etym: [L. spheroides ball-like, spherical, Gr. sphéroïde.]
Defn: A body or figure approaching to a sphere, but not perfectly spherical; esp., a solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about one of its axes. Oblate spheroid, Prolate spheroid. See Oblate, Prolate, and Ellipsoid.
SPHEROIDAL
Sphe*roid"al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. sphéroïdal.]