atmosphere
• noun 1 the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet. 2 the quality of the air in a place. 3 a pervading tone or mood. 4 a unit of pressure equal to mean atmospheric pressure at sea level, 101,325 pascals (roughly 14.7 pounds per square inch). — ORIGIN from Greek atmos ‘vapour’ + sphaira ‘globe’.
Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary
About this dictionary
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English contains 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions.
Find out more about Oxford's range of English dictionaries
Sign up for the AskOxford Word of the Day
Search the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Search the Concise Dictionary of First Names
| 
