orbital
[ awr-bi-tl ]
/ ˈɔr bɪ tl /
Save This Word!
adjective
of or relating to an orbit.
noun
Physics, Chemistry.
- a wave function describing the state of a single electron in an atom (atomic orbital ) or in a molecule (molecular orbital ).
- the electron in that state.
QUIZZES
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
OTHER WORDS FROM orbital
Words nearby orbital
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for orbital
British Dictionary definitions for orbital
orbital
/ (ˈɔːbɪtəl) /
adjective
of or denoting an orbit
(of a motorway or major road circuit) circling a large city
noun
a region surrounding an atomic nucleus in which the probability distribution of the electrons is given by a wave function
an orbital road
Derived forms of orbital
orbitally, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for orbital
orbital
[ ôr′bĭ-tl ]
adj.
Relating to an orbit.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for orbital
orbital
[ ôr′bĭ-tl ]
A partial description of the quantum state of an electron (or other particle) orbiting the nucleus of an atom. Different orbitals have different shapes and orientations, depending on the energy of the electron, its angular momentum, and its magnetic number. Orbitals have no clear boundaries; the shape of an orbital, as depicted graphically, shows only the regions around the nucleus in which an electron has a relatively high probability of being found. No more than two electrons (each with opposite spin) can coexist in a single orbital because of the Pauli exclusion principle. See also probability wave quantum number shell.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.