hemisphere
nounUK /ˈhɛmɪsfɪə/ · CA, US /ˈhɛmɪsfɪɹ/
Etymology From Latin hemisphaerium, from Ancient Greek ἡμισφαίριον (hēmisphaírion), from ἡμι- (hēmi-, “half”) + σφαῖρα (sphaîra, “sphere”). Equivalent to hemi- + sphere. Displaced native Old English healftrendel (literally “half-sphere”).
Astrology, Astronomy, Human sciences, Mysticism, Natural sciences, Philosophy, Sciences Half of the celestial sphere, as divided by either the ecliptic or the celestial equator .
Figuratively A realm or domain of activity .
- Love is the Columbus of our moral world, and opens, at some period or other, a new hemisphere to our view.1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, pages 91–92:
Geography, Natural sciences Half of the Earth, such as the Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere or Eastern Hemisphere, Land Hemisphere, Water Hemisphere etc. .
- Bangkok typically sees temperatures between 73 and 91 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 33 degrees Celsius) during January, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand – one reason why it’s a paradise for many tourists looking to escape winter in the northern hemisphere.2025 January 14, Jay Ganglani, Kocha Olarn, “59 degrees Fahrenheit might not sound that chilly. In Thailand’s capital, it’s a shock to the system”, in CNN, archived from the original on 24 Jan 2025:
Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences Any half-sphere, formed by a plane intersecting the center of a sphere. .
Cartography, Geography, Natural sciences A map or projection of a celestial or terrestrial hemisphere .
- Synonyms
- celestial hemisphere, terrestrial hemisphere, sphere, half-sphere, half sphere, cerebral hemisphere, planisphere
- Derived terms
27 terms
Eastern Hemisphere, eastern hemisphere, Hemisphere, hemispherectomy, hemisphered, hemispherian, Hemispherian, Hemispheric, hemispheric, hemispherical, hemispherically, hemispheroid, hemispheroidal, hemispheroidally, hemispherotomy, interhemisphere, Land Hemisphere, Magdeburg hemisphere, microhemisphere, Northern Hemisphere, northern hemisphere, semihemisphere, southern hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, Water Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere, western hemisphere- Related terms
- demisphere, hemi-, semisphere, sphere, dome