Orbison

American

[awr-bi-suhn] / ˈɔr bɪ sən /

noun

Roy, 1936–88, U.S. rock and roll singer and songwriter.

Orbison British

/ ˈɔːbɪsən /

noun

Roy ( Kelton ). 1936–89, US pop singer and songwriter. His records include the singles "Only the Lonely" (1960) and "Oh Pretty Woman" (1964) and the album Mystery Girl (1989)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Orbison

His favourite is Penny Arcade, by Roy Orbison, and once he starts, it can be hard to get him off stage, according to staff.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

And there is no mention of the dynamic 1980s collaborations with Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne as the ultimate supergroup, Traveling Wilburys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

He had hits with a guy named Roy Orbison and a straightlaced, suit-wearing young man from Texas, Willie Nelson.

From Salon ● Jan. 19, 2026

As a singer, Malo was frequently compared to Roy Orbison; in 2001, he told The Times about his love for Tony Bennett.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025

For one full week, Mr. Loring played rock and roll beginning with Bill Haley and continuing in a kind of inauthentic historical overview through Buddy Holly until it stopped abruptly with Roy Orbison.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023