Bathysphere
/ˈbæθɪsfɪər/noun
A spherical, pressurized deep-sea diving vessel used for underwater exploration.
Did you know?William Beebe and Otis Barton used the Bathysphere in 1930 to descend nearly 800 feet, allowing Beebe to make pioneering direct observations of deep-sea life.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βαθύς (bathýs)
“Deep or profound”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σφαῖρα (sphaîra)
“A ball or globe”
Late 19th–early 20th Century
Scientific Greek
bathy- + -sphere
“A modern scientific compound meaning “deep” plus “sphere””
1920s
English
bathysphere
“A proposed or constructed spherical vessel for deep-sea exploration”
1930
English
Bathysphere
“The steel diving sphere used by William Beebe and Otis Barton for record-setting ocean descents”
Modern English
English
bathysphere
“A pressurized spherical deep-sea diving vessel”
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