lithosphere

The outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) thick.

The crust of the earth: a designation corresponding with atmosphere and hydrosphere. [Little used.]

The solid earth as distinguished from its fluid envelopes, the hydrosphere and atmosphere.

The outer part of the solid earth, the portion undergoing change through the gradual transfer of material by volcanic eruption, the circulation of underground water, and the process of erosion and deposition. It is, therefore, regarded as a third mobile envelope comparable with the hydrosphere and atmosphere.

The rigid, mechanically strong, outer layer of the Earth; divided into twelve major plates

the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle