a. Also 6 -all. [ad. late L. sphēr-, sphærālis, f. sphæra SPHERE sb.: see -AL, So It. sferale, Pg. esferal.]
1. Of or pertaining to a sphere or round body; having the rounded form of a sphere; spherical.
1571. Digges, Pantom., IV. vi. X. Thus also … ye shal most speedily finde these spheral semidiameters. Ibid., xvii. Bbj b. All the sides and diameters both circular and spherall of all suche regulare solides.
1690. Leybourn, Curs. Math., 328. In respect of these Bodies Spheral Circumscriptibility.
1766. G. Canning, Anti-Lucretius, II. 107. These in a form exactly spheral place.
b. fig. Symmetrically rounded or perfect.
1841. Emerson, Ess., Intellect, ¶ 19. The poet, whose verses are to be spheral and complete. Ibid. (1844), Nom. & Real., ¶ 12. There is somewhat spheral and infinite … in every genius.
2. Of or pertaining to the cosmic spheres or the heavenly bodies: a. Of the supposed music of the spheres.
1829. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), II. 77. As the Ancients fabled of the Spheral Music.
1845. Bailey, Festus (ed. 2), 237. She spake as with the voice Of spheral harmony.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. i. 239. The ancients had their spheral melodies.
b. In other contexts.
1849. Lytton, Caxtons, XIV. i. Fortune,… calm and aloft amongst the other angelic powers, revolves her spheral course.
1863. Cowden Clarke, Shaks. Char., xvi. 408–9. For a lover to discuss the Platonic theory of the spheral motion to his mistress.
1883. Nature, 8 Feb., 351. As closely contiguous in space as are the molecules of spheral atmospheres.
Hence Spherality, sphericity. rare–0.
1891. in Cent. Dict.
