orbit
the curved path, usually elliptical, taken by a planet, satellite, spaceship, etc., around a celestial body, as the sun.
the usual course of one's life or range of one's activities.
the sphere of power or influence, as of a nation or person: a small nation in the Russian orbit.
Physics. (in the Bohr model ) the path traced by an electron revolving around the nucleus of an atom.
an orb or sphere.
Anatomy.
the bony cavity of the skull that contains the eye; eye socket.
the eye.
Zoology. the part surrounding the eye of a bird or insect.
to move or travel around in an orbital or elliptical path: The earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days.
to send into orbit, as a satellite.
to go or travel in an orbit.
Origin of orbit
1Other words from orbit
- or·bit·ar·y, adjective
- non·or·bit·ing, adjective
Words Nearby orbit
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use orbit in a sentence
He adds that a planet formed in this misaligned part of the fractured disk would have a highly unusual orbit.
A strange dusty disk could hide a planet betwixt three stars | Paola Rosa-Aquino | September 11, 2020 | Popular-SciencePhobos also completes an orbit in just 7 hours and 39 minutes, so its dark shadow is constantly sweeping across the Martian landscape.
These Images Expose the Dark Side of the Solar System - Issue 89: The Dark Side | Corey S. Powell | August 26, 2020 | NautilusNorthrup 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.
The company delivered 58 of the company’s Starlink satellites to orbit, along with three SkySat satellites for Planet Labs Inc.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX gets a stratospheric valuation in its latest funding | Verne Kopytoff | August 18, 2020 | FortuneCompany 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.
SpaceX flew a prototype of its Starship vehicle for the first time | Neel Patel | August 5, 2020 | 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.
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ‘Breaking Point,’ Air Force Says | Dave Majumdar | January 5, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTDuring an emergency that ratio could be allowed to drop to 8.5 people per orbit.
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ‘Breaking Point,’ Air Force Says | Dave Majumdar | January 5, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTEach CAP, also known as an “orbit,” consists on four aircraft.
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ‘Breaking Point,’ Air Force Says | Dave Majumdar | January 5, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTOther groups in the progressive orbit are trying out other tactics.
Orion will orbit Earth twice before splashing down off the California coast.
To Infinity and Beyond! NASA’s Orion Mission Blasts Off | Matthew R. Francis | December 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSee that silver spiral going out from Venus and around the table to the orbit of Saturn?
Fee of the Frontier | Horace Brown FyfeEach new orbit out from the sun has cost plenty in money, ships, and lives; it's the admission price.
Fee of the Frontier | Horace Brown FyfeIn an orbit made elliptical by the planetary attraction the sun necessarily occupies one of the foci of the ellipse.
Outlines of the Earth's History | Nathaniel Southgate ShalerBad her fleen, bade her flee; because her motion in her orbit was faster than his.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems | Geoffrey ChaucerA dark moon has joined this celestial grouping, and is now swinging in an orbit about the earth.
Astounding Stories, May, 1931 | Various
British Dictionary definitions for orbit
/ (ˈɔːbɪt) /
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
a range or field of action or influence; sphere: he is out of my orbit
anatomy the bony cavity containing the eyeball: Nontechnical name: eye socket
zoology
the skin surrounding the eye of a bird
the hollow in which lies the eye or eyestalk of an insect or other arthropod
physics the path of an electron in its motion around the nucleus of an atom
to move around (a body) in a curved path, usually circular or elliptical
(tr) to send (a satellite, spacecraft, etc) into orbit
(intr) to move in or as if in an orbit
Origin of orbit
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for orbit
[ ôr′bĭt ]
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.
One complete revolution of such a body. See Note at solar system.
A stable quantum state of an electron (or other particle) in motion around an atomic nucleus. See more at orbital.
Either of two bony hollows in the skull containing the eye and its associated structures.
To move in an orbit around another body.
To put into an orbit, as a satellite is put into orbit around the Earth.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for orbit
Notes for orbit
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with orbit
see in orbit.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse