Meanings
plural armillary spheres
- An instrument consisting of graduated metal circles used to represent the motions of celestial bodies around the earth.
1 more example
Most of this bench is covered with tiles of Moorish design, but on the front each is stamped with an armillary sphere in which the axis is yellow, the lines of the equator and tropics green, and the rest blue. These one would certainly take to be of Dom Manoel's time, for the armillary sphere was his emblem, but they are said to be older.
1908, Walter Crum Watson, Portuguese Architecture, page 24Synonyms: armill
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn instrument consisting of graduated metal circles used to represent the motions of celestial bodies around the earth.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna celestial globe consisting of metal hoops; used by early astronomers to determine the positions of stars
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek ἀστρολάβος
- ἀστρολάβος (astrolábos)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Catalan esfera armil·lar
- esfera armil·larinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Chinese Mandarin 渾天儀 /浑天仪, 渾儀 /浑仪
- 渾天儀 /浑天仪 (húntiānyí)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
- 渾儀 /浑仪 (húnyí)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
- 渾象 /浑象 (húnxiàng)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Danish armillarsfære
- armillarsfæreinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Dutch armillarium
- armillariuminstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Finnish armillaari
- armillaariinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
French sphère armillaire
- sphère armillaireinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
German Armillarsphäre
- Armillarsphäreinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Greek σφαιρικός αστρολάβος
- σφαιρικός αστρολάβος (sfairikós astrolávos)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Italian sfera armillare
- sfera armillareinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Japanese 天球儀, アーミラリ天球儀
- 天球儀 (tenkyūgi)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
- アーミラリ天球儀 (āmirari tenkyūgi)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
- 渾天儀 (kontengi)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Korean 혼천의
- 혼천의 (honcheonui)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Persian ذات الحلق
- ذات الحلق (zât-ol-halaq)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Polish sfera armilarna
- sfera armilarnainstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Portuguese esfera armilar
- esfera armilarinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Russian армилля́рная сфе́ра
- армилля́рная сфе́ра (armilljárnaja sféra)instrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Spanish esfera armilar
- esfera armilarinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Swedish armillarsfär, armilla
- armillarsfärinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
- armillainstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Turkish halkalı küre
- halkalı küreinstrument consisting of graduated metal circles
Cite this entry
armillary sphere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/armillary%20sphere
“armillary sphere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/armillary%20sphere. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “armillary sphere,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/armillary%20sphere.
Source: armillary sphere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.