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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary hemi·sphere ETYMOLOGY Middle English hemispere, from Latin hemisphaerium, from Greek hēmisphairion, from hēmi- + sphairion, diminutive of sphaira sphere DATE 14th century 1. a. a half of the celestial sphere as divided into two halves by the horizon, the celestial equator, or the ecliptic b. half of a spherical or roughly spherical body (as a planet); specifically : the northern or southern half of the earth as divided by the equator or the eastern or western half as divided by a meridian c. the inhabitants of a terrestrial hemisphere 3. one of two half spheres formed by a plane through the sphere's center 4. a map or projection of a celestial or terrestrial hemisphere 5. cerebral hemisphere • hemi·spher·ic \\ˌhe-mə-ˈsfir-ik, -ˈsfer-\\ or hemi·spher·i·cal \\-ˈsfir-i-kəl, -ˈsfer-\\ adjective English Etymology hemisphere late 14c., from L. hemisphærium, from Gk. hemisphairion, from hemi- "half" + sphaira "sphere." Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 hemisphere hemi·sphere / 5hemisfiE(r); NAmE -sfir / noun1. one half of the earth, especially the half above or below the equator (地球的)半球；(尤指)北半球,南半球: the northern / southern hemisphere 北/南半球 2. either half of the brain (大脑的)半球: the left / right cerebral hemisphere 大脑左/右半球 3. one half of a sphere (= a round solid object) (球体的)半球 Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: magdeburg hemisphere , or northern hemisphere , or southern hemisphere , or water hemisphere , or western hemisphere , or cerebral hemisphere , or eastern hemisphere
hem·i·sphere \ˈhemə̇ˌsfi(ə)r, -iə\ noun Etymology: alteration (influenced by Middle French emisphere) of Middle English hemispere, hemisperie, from Latin hemisphaerium, from Greek hēmisphairion, from hēmi- hemi- (I) + sphairion small sphere (diminutive of sphaira sphere, ball) 1. a. : a half of the celestial sphere divided into two halves by the horizon, the celestial equator, or the ecliptic b. obsolete : the sky above the horizon or overhead c. : a projection on a plane surface of half of the celestial sphere < a hemisphere of special knowledge > < a hemisphere of life heretofore unknown to us > < a discovery that was to have important repercussions in the hemispheres of French literary life — Times Literary Supplement > 3. a. : a half of the terrestrial globe especially as divided by the equator < sailed down over the equator into the southern hemisphere > or into halves one of which contains Europe, Asia, and Africa and the other the Americas < sailed from Europe for the western hemisphere > b. : a map or projection of one of these halves c. : the inhabitants of one of these halves of the earth < America's plans did not seem to interest the eastern hemisphere > 4. : either of two half spheres formed by a plane through a sphere's center 5. : cerebral hemisphere |