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orbit - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

orbit
Diagram of a planet's orbit, illustrating Kepler's second law.

Inherited from Middle English orbite, orbita, from Latin orbita (“course, track, impression, mark”).

orbit (countable and uncountable, plural orbits)

  2. The curved path of one object around a point or another body.
    1. (astronomy) An elliptical movement of an object about a celestial object or Lagrange point, especially a periodic elliptical revolution.
      Hyponyms: Clarke orbit, graveyard orbit, Hohmann transfer orbit, last photon orbit, Lissajous orbit, low Earth orbit, lunar orbit, Lyapunov orbit, Molniya orbit, osculating orbit, parking orbit, subsynchronous orbit, synchronous orbit
      1. One complete circuit round an orbited body.

        The Moon's orbit around the Earth takes nearly one month to complete.

    2. (uncountable) The state of moving in an orbit.
    3. (physics) The path of an electron around an atomic nucleus.
    4. (pinball) A path for the ball on the outer edge of the playfield, usually connected so that the ball entering in one end will come out of the other.
  3. (figurative) A sphere of influence; an area or extent of activity, interest, or control.

    In the post WWII era, several eastern European countries came into the orbit of the Soviet Union.

    The convenience store was a heavily travelled point in her daily orbit, as she purchased both cigarettes and lottery tickets there.

    • 2024 November 22, Hugo Lowell, “Trump names Pam Bondi as attorney general pick after Gaetz steps aside”, in The Guardian‎[1], →ISSN:

      Bondi has been inside Trump’s orbit for some time, and is widely seen to have demonstrated her loyalty to Trump during his first term, when she helped with his impeachment defense, and more recently when she repeatedly attended Trump’s criminal trial in New York.

    • 2025 March 5, Richard Wilcock, “DfT sets out its plans with rail reform consultation”, in RAIL, number 1030, page 28:

      So, it is clear from the consultation that while the intention is to bring track and train together under GBR, it will not escape the orbit of the government.

  5. (anatomy) The bony cavity in the skull of a vertebrate containing the eyeball.
    Alternative form: orbita (obsolete)
    Synonyms: eye socket, cranial orbit
    1. (zoology) The area around the eye of a bird or other animal.
  6. (mathematics) A collection of points related by the evolution function of a dynamical system.
  8. (geometry, group theory) The subset of elements of a set X to which a given element can be moved by members of a specified group of transformations that act on X.
  9. (poker, Texas hold 'em) The number of hands such that each player at the table has posted the big blind once.

    All right, I'll play one more orbit but then I'm leaving!

  10. (informal) A state of increased excitement, activity, or anger.

    Dad went into orbit when I told him that I'd crashed the car.

    • 2017 September 18, Andrew McGarry, “AFL finals week two: The heroes and villains from the elimination semi-finals”, in ABC News‎[2], archived from the original on 2 October 2018:

      Given a veritable Pagan's Paddock by the Cats to work in on Friday night, Danger booted two goals in the first seven minutes to send Geelong fans into orbit.

When referring to astronomical orbits, "in orbit" and "on orbit" have somewhat different meanings. In general, a body is said to be "in orbit" if it is in freefall going around another body; while something happens "on orbit"(Can we verify(+) this sense?) if it occurs aboard an orbiting spacecraft. Thus one might say, "The space capsule is in orbit, and the astronauts inside are performing experiments on orbit."

path of one object around another

sphere of influence

area of activity

orbit (third-person singular simple present orbits, present participle orbiting, simple past and past participle orbited)

  1. (astronomy, transitive) To circle or revolve around another object or position.

    The Earth orbits the Sun.

    The satellite orbits the Lagrange point.

    1. (transitive) To place an object (e.g. a satellite) into an orbit around a planet.
      Synonym: launch

      A rocket was used to orbit the satellite.

  2. (transitive) To move around the general vicinity of something.
    Synonyms: circumambulate, tag along

    The harried mother had a cloud of children orbiting her, begging for sweets.

  3. (transitive) To move in a circle.
  4. (transitive) To center (around).
  5. (transitive, dating) To continue to follow or engage with someone by means of social media after breaking up with them.

circle another object

place an object into an orbit

move around the general vicinity of

Ultimately from Latin orbita.

orbit (definite accusative orbiti, plural orbitlər)

  1. (astronomy) orbit
    Synonym: (archaic) mədar
  • “orbit” in Obastan.com.

orbit

  1. nominative plural of orbi

Borrowed from Dutch orbit, from English orbit, from Middle English orbite, orbita, from Latin orbita (“course, track, impression, mark”). Doublet of orbita.

orbit (plural orbit-orbit)

  2. orbit

orbit (active mengorbit, passive diorbit)

  1. to orbit

orbit (Jawi spelling اوربيت, plural orbit-orbit or orbit2)

  1. (astronomy) orbit

Past participle of orbi.

orbit m or n (feminine singular orbită, masculine plural orbiți, feminine/neuter plural orbite)

  1. blinded

orbit (past participle of orbi)

  1. past participle of orbi

Borrowed from English orbit.

orbit m or f (plural orbitau)

  1. orbit
    Synonyms: cylchdro, cylchlwybr
  • D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “orbit”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “orbit”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies