Atmosphere
/ˈæt.mə.sfɪər/noun
The layer of gases surrounding a planet, especially Earth.
Did you know?“Atmosphere” entered English through 18th-century science, but its roots go back to Greek ἀτμός (atmós, “vapor”) and σφαῖρα (sphaîra, “sphere”), a very literal image of the air as a wrapped, celestial orb.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
GRK
ἀτμός + σφαῖρα
“vapor + sphere”
Late 18th Century
French
atmosphère
“the gaseous envelope around a body, especially the Earth”
Late 18th Century
English
atmosphere
“the layer of air surrounding the Earth”
Modern English
English
atmosphere
“the layer of gases surrounding a planet; also the mood or feeling of a place”