asthenosphere
/asˈθɛnə(ʊ)sfɪə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.62 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A portion of the Earth's upper mantle, below the lithosphere.
Example Sentences
- "Holonyms: upper mantle, outer mantle < mantle < Earth"
- "To say that the lithosphere floats on top of the asthenosphere suggests a degree of easy buoyancy that isn't quite right."
- "The asthenosphere that underlies the surface plates is not liquid in any vernacular sense, although it is relatively plastic."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) Ancient Greek σθένος (sthénos) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Proto-Hellenic *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek ἀσθενής (asthenḗs)der. English astheno- Ancient Greek σφαῖρᾰ (sphaîră)bor. Latin sphaera Late Latin sphērader. Old French spherebor. Middle English spere English sphere English -sphere English asthenosphere From astheno- + -sphere.
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /asˈθɛnə(ʊ)sfɪə/