orbital

[ awr-bi-tl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to an orbit.

noun

1. Physics, Chemistry.
   1. a wave function describing the state of a single electron in an atom atomic orbital or in a molecule molecular orbital.
   2. the electron in that state.

orbital

/ ˈɔːbɪtəl /

adjective

1. of or denoting an orbit
2. (of a motorway or major road circuit) circling a large city

noun

1. a region surrounding an atomic nucleus in which the probability distribution of the electrons is given by a wave function
2. an orbital road

Derived Forms

• ˈorbitally, adverb

Other Words From

• inter·orbi·tal adjective
• inter·orbi·tal·ly adverb
• pre·orbit·al adjective
• super·orbit·al adjective
• trans·orbi·tal adjective
• un·orbi·tal adjective
• un·orbi·tal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of orbital¹

1535–45; < New Latin, Medieval Latin orbitālis; orbit, -al ¹

Example Sentences

It has the shortest orbital period of any known comet within our solar system, taking just 3.3 years to orbit the Sun.

From BBC

But however Skynet-1A then got shifted to its present position, it was ultimately allowed to die in an awkward place when really it should have been put in an "orbital graveyard".

From BBC

Given its orbital path, the last time this comet would have been seen in the sky was about 80,000 years ago, during the time of the Neanderthals.

From Los Angeles Times

From mid-July to early September, the Earth’s orbital path around the sun crosses that of the comet.

From Los Angeles Times

In addition to biological contamination, they argue that guidelines should be expanded to address more than orbital debris, crowding, and security issues.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• annual
• intermittent
• monthly
• occasional
• recurrent
• recurring
• regular
• repeated
• routine
• seasonal
• sporadic
• weekly
• yearly