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orbit

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or⋅bit

  [awr-bit]
Use orbit in a Sentence
–noun
1. the curved path, usually elliptical, described by a planet, satellite, spaceship, etc., around a celestial body, as the sun.
2. the usual course of one's life or range of one's activities.
3. the sphere of power or influence, as of a nation or person: a small nation in the Russian orbit.
4. Physics. (in Bohr theory) the path traced by an electron revolving around the nucleus of an atom.
5. an orb or sphere.
6. Anatomy.
a. the bony cavity of the skull that contains the eye; eye socket.
b. the eye.
7. Zoology. the part surrounding the eye of a bird or insect.
–verb (used with object)
8. to move or travel around in an orbital or elliptical path: The earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days.
9. to send into orbit, as a satellite.
–verb (used without object)
10. to go or travel in an orbit.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L orbita wheel track, course, circuit

Related forms:
or⋅bit⋅ar⋅y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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or·bit   (ôr'bĭt)   
n.  

    1. The path of a celestial body or an artificial satellite as it revolves around another body.

    2. One complete revolution of such a body.

    3. A range of activity, experience, or knowledge.

    4. A range of control or influence: "What magnetism drew these quaking ruined creatures into his orbit?" (Malcolm Lowry). See Synonyms at range.

  2. The path of a body in a field of force surrounding another body; for example, the movement of an atomic electron in relation to a nucleus.

    1. A range of activity, experience, or knowledge.

    2. A range of control or influence: "What magnetism drew these quaking ruined creatures into his orbit?" (Malcolm Lowry). See Synonyms at range.

  4. Either of two bony cavities in the skull containing an eye and its external structures; an eye socket.

v.   or·bit·ed, or·bit·ing, or·bits

v.   tr.

  1. To put into an orbit: orbit a satellite.

  2. To revolve around (a center of attraction): The moon orbits Earth.

v.   intr.
To move in an orbit.

[Middle English orbite, eye socket, from Old French, from Latin orbita, orbit, probably from orbis.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

orbit

In astronomy, the path followed by an object revolving around another object, under the influence of gravitation (see satellite). In physics, the path followed by an electron within an atom. The planets follow elliptical orbits around the sun (see ellipse).

Note: Informally, something is “in orbit” when its actions are controlled by an external agency or force: “The countries of eastern Europe were once in the orbit of the Soviet Union.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

orbit  (n.)
1392, "the eye socket," from M.L. orbita, transf. use of L. orbita "wheel track, course, orbit" (see orb). Astronomical sense first recorded 1696 in Eng.; it was in classical L., revived in Gerard of Cremona's transl. of Avicenna. The verb is attested from 1946, from the noun.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: or·bit
Pronunciation: 'or-b&t
Function: noun
: the bony cavity perforated for the passage of nerves and blood vessels that occupies thelateral front of the skull immediately beneath the frontal bone on each side and encloses and protects the eye and its appendages called also eye socket, orbital cavity —or·bit·al /-&l/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

orbit or·bit (ôr'bĭt)
n.
See orbital cavity.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
orbit   (ôr'bĭt)  Pronunciation Key 
Noun  

  1. 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.

  2. One complete revolution of such a body. See Note at solar system.

  3. A stable quantum state of an electron (or other particle) in motion around an atomic nucleus. See more at orbital.

  4. Either of two bony hollows in the skull containing the eye and its associated structures.


Verb  

  1. To move in an orbit around another body.

  2. To put into an orbit, as a satellite is put into orbit around the Earth.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Computing Dictionary

Orbit
A Scheme compiler.
["Orbit: An Optimising Compiler for Scheme", D.A. Kranz et al, SIGPLAN Notices 21(7):281-292 (Jul 1986)].
(1994-10-28)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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Idioms & Phrases

orbit

see in orbit.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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