Definition of "lithosphere" []

• The outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km (62 mi.) thick. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that describes the movement of Earth's upper mantle and crust, known as the lithosphere."
• "The lithosphere is a layer that includes the crust and the upper most portion of the asthenosphere (Figure 2)."
• "A list of the solid substances of the earth making up the so-called lithosphere (or rock sphere) in order of their abundance, does not at all correspond to a list made in order of commercial importance."