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biosphere

Pronunciation: /ˈbʌɪə(ʊ)sfɪə/

Translate biosphere | into German | into Italian
Definition of biosphere

noun

  • 1the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the earth or another planet occupied by living organisms.
  • 2an artificial structure enclosing a self-contained ecosystem or ecosystems: the elliptical domed biosphere is the largest single-span glasshouse in the world

Derivatives

biospheric

adjective

Origin:

late 19th century: coined in German from Greek bios 'life' + sphaira (see sphere)

biosphere in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of biosphere in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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