Also 7 sphæricity. [ad. mod.L. sphēr-, sphæricitās: see SPHERIC a. and -ITY. So F. sphéricité, It. sfericità, Sp. esfericidad, Pg. -idade.]
† 1. A spherical body or figure. Obs.–1
1625. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. vii. 111. Such a sphericity as hath the same center with the center of the Earth.
2. The quality of being spherical or having the form of a sphere.
1625. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., I. ii. 38. The reasons … that in generall proue the Sphæricity of the Terrene globe are diuers. Ibid., II. v. 70. Forasmuch as this hath little or no proportion to the vast Sphæricity of the Water.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 20. By some device to have their Heads … rounded, that they may obtain a perfect Sphericity.
1719. Phil. Trans., XXX. 1089. The Sphericity of the drops of Rain.
1789. Belsham, Ess., I. xix. 370. Sphericity … is a property belonging to a complete globe.
1809. Hutton, in Encycl. Metrop. (1845), III. 476/1. Let two large glasses, of convenient sphericities, be placed at proper distances.
1866. Cornhill Mag., Aug., 164. Tastes differ about the colour of pearls…. At Bombay those of yellow hue and perfect sphericity are preferred.
1881. Nature, XXIII. 398. The sphericity characteristic of the liquid state.
b. Of numbers: (see SPHERICAL a. 1 c.)
1658. Sir T. Browne, Gard. Cyrus, 70. For the stability of this Number, he shall not want the sphericity of its nature, which multiplied in it self, will return into its own denomination.
