Lithosphere
/ˈlɪθəˌsfɪr/noun
The rigid outer layer of Earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle.
Did you know?Lithosphere was coined in modern scientific Greek from roots that also gave us words for “stone” and “sphere,” turning geology into a very literal image of a rocky globe.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
líthos
“stone”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sphaîra
“ball, globe”
19th Century
English
lithosphere
“the rocky outer shell of the Earth”
Modern English
English
lithosphere
“the rigid outer layer of Earth”
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