hemisphere

/ˈhɛmɪsfɪr/
noun
  1. Half of the Earth, especially one of the halves divided by the equator (Northern and Southern) or by the prime meridian (Eastern and Western).
    • The Western Hemisphere includes North and South America.
    • Many tropical fruits grow only in the Southern Hemisphere.
    • The Northern Hemisphere has its summer in June, July, and August.
  2. Either of the two halves of the brain (left and right).
    • Creative thinking often involves the right hemisphere.
    • The left hemisphere of the brain controls language in most people.
    • Damage to one hemisphere can affect movement on the opposite side of the body.
  3. Half of a sphere or ball-shaped object.
    • The dome was shaped like a hemisphere.
    • The architect designed a glass hemisphere for the observatory roof.
    • Each hemisphere of the orange contained several segments.