orbit

[ awr-bit ]

noun

1. the curved path, usually elliptical, taken by a planet, satellite, spaceship, etc., around a celestial body, as the sun.
2. the usual course of one's life or range of one's activities.
3. the sphere of power or influence, as of a nation or person:

   a small nation in the Russian orbit.

4. Physics. (in the Bohr model ) the path traced by an electron revolving around the nucleus of an atom.
5. an orb or sphere.
6. Anatomy.
   1. the bony cavity of the skull that contains the eye; eye socket.
   2. the eye.
7. Zoology. the part surrounding the eye of a bird or insect.

verb (used with object)

1. to move or travel around in an orbital or elliptical path:

   The earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days.

2. to send into orbit, as a satellite.

verb (used without object)

1. to go or travel in an orbit.

orbit

/ ˈɔːbɪt /

noun

1. astronomy the curved path, usually elliptical, followed by a planet, satellite, comet, etc, in its motion around another celestial body under the influence of gravitation
2. a range or field of action or influence; sphere

   he is out of my orbit

3. anatomy the bony cavity containing the eyeball Nontechnical nameeye socket
4. zoology
   1. the skin surrounding the eye of a bird
   2. the hollow in which lies the eye or eyestalk of an insect or other arthropod
5. physics the path of an electron in its motion around the nucleus of an atom

verb

1. to move around (a body) in a curved path, usually circular or elliptical
2. tr to send (a satellite, spacecraft, etc) into orbit
3. intr to move in or as if in an orbit

orbit

/ ôr′bĭt /

Noun

1. The path followed by a celestial body or artificial satellite as it revolves around another body due to the force of gravity. Orbits are nearly elliptical or circular in shape and are very closely approximated by Kepler's laws of planetary motion.
2. One complete revolution of such a body.
3. See Note at solar system
4. A stable quantum state of an electron (or other particle) in motion around an atomic nucleus.
5. See more at orbital
6. Either of two bony hollows in the skull containing the eye and its associated structures.

Verb

1. To move in an orbit around another body.
2. To put into an orbit, as a satellite is put into orbit around the Earth.

orbit

1. In astronomy , the path followed by an object revolving around another object, under the influence of gravitation ( see satellite ). In physics , the path followed by an electron within an atom . The planets follow elliptical orbits around the sun ( see ellipse ).

Notes

Informally, something is “in orbit” when its actions are controlled by an external agency or force : “The countries of eastern Europe were once in the orbit of the Soviet Union .”

Other Words From

• or·bit·ar·y adjective
• non·or·bit·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of orbit¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin orbita wheel track, course, circuit

Word History and Origins

Origin of orbit¹

C16: from Latin orbita course, from orbis circle, orb

Idioms and Phrases

see in orbit .

Example Sentences

He adds that a planet formed in this misaligned part of the fractured disk would have a highly unusual orbit.

From Popular-Science

Phobos also completes an orbit in just 7 hours and 39 minutes, so its dark shadow is constantly sweeping across the Martian landscape.

From Nautilus

Northrup Grumman is contributing designs from its Cygnus spacecraft for parts of the lander that will propel it from orbit to the moon and Draper is designing guidance and avionics systems.

From Fortune

The company delivered 58 of the company’s Starlink satellites to orbit, along with three SkySat satellites for Planet Labs Inc.

From Fortune

Company CEO Elon Musk had stated he wanted to fly Starship 12 miles into the air within just a couple months when he first unveiled the design last September, and that it would fly into orbit within half a year.

From MIT Technology Review

Carlisle writes that the Air Force would want a crew ratio of 10 to one for each drone orbit during normal everyday operations.

From The Daily Beast

During an emergency that ratio could be allowed to drop to 8.5 people per orbit.

From The Daily Beast

Each CAP, also known as an “orbit,” consists on four aircraft.

From The Daily Beast

Other groups in the progressive orbit are trying out other tactics.

From The Daily Beast

Orion will orbit Earth twice before splashing down off the California coast.

From The Daily Beast

See that silver spiral going out from Venus and around the table to the orbit of Saturn?

From Project Gutenberg

Each new orbit out from the sun has cost plenty in money, ships, and lives; it's the admission price.

From Project Gutenberg

In an orbit made elliptical by the planetary attraction the sun necessarily occupies one of the foci of the ellipse.

From Project Gutenberg

Bad her fleen, bade her flee; because her motion in her orbit was faster than his.

From Project Gutenberg

A dark moon has joined this celestial grouping, and is now swinging in an orbit about the earth.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• path
• pattern
• rotation
• trajectory