solid angle

noun

, Geometry.

1. an angle formed by three or more planes intersecting in a common point or formed at the vertex of a cone.

solid angle

noun

1. a geometric surface consisting of lines originating from a common point (the vertex) and passing through a closed curve or polygon: measured in steradians

solid angle

1. A three-dimensional angle, formed by three or more planes intersecting at a common point. Its magnitude is measured in steradians, a unitless measure. The corner of a room forms a solid angle, as does the apex of a cone; one can imagine an indefinite number of planes forming the smooth round surface of the cone all intersecting at the apex. Solid angles are commonly used in photometry.

Word History and Origins

Origin of solid angle¹

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

For the record, the amount of extra light they found bouncing around the universe is about 10 nanowatts per square meter per steradian, a measure of solid angle on the sky.

From New York Times

The combination of the subdetectors provides particle energy and momentum measurements, together with electron, muon, and photon identification, over more than 98% of the solid angle.

From Science Magazine

The miniature solid angle also recurs in the central quartering.

From Project Gutenberg

Six of these squares joined together formed eight solid angles, each produced by three plane right angles: and the shape of the body thus formed was cubical, having six square planes for its surfaces.”

From Project Gutenberg

Replacing by single planes or groups of planes all the similar edges or solid angles of a figure called the “primitive form” he derived other related forms.

From Project Gutenberg