orrery

American  

[awr-uh-ree, or-] / ˈɔr ə ri, ˈɒr- /

noun

plural

orreries

1. an apparatus for representing the positions, motions, and phases of the planets, satellites, etc., in the solar system.

2. any of certain similar machines, as a planetarium.

---

orrery British  

/ ˈɒrərɪ /

noun

1. a mechanical model of the solar system in which the planets can be moved at the correct relative velocities around the sun

---

Etymology

Origin of orrery

First recorded in 1705–15; named after Charles Boyle, Earl of Orrery (1676–1731), for whom it was first made

Example Sentences

The uplighted orrery glows on the faces of two boys who lean into the circuits of solar orbit as it once glowed on the faces of the shepherds and magi at the crib in Bethlehem.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Ah, so the orrery is some kind of time machine, according to Christina?

From The Guardian • Sep. 7, 2020

It wasn't until mechanical engineer Derek Staines retired in 2004 that he made his first orrery - a mechanical model of the solar system.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2020

Opera powers He’s orrery, so her time in Hong Kong, like every other city in which she performs, is fleeting.

From Time • Oct. 24, 2017

A few days ago, when I was communing with the orrery, I was trying so hard to find the single pivotal moment that set my life on its path.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon