Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The path of a celestial body or an artificial satellite as it revolves around another body due to their mutual gravitational attraction.
- noun One complete revolution of such a body.
- noun 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.
- noun A range of activity, experience, or knowledge.
- noun A range of control or influence: synonym: range.
- noun Either of two bony cavities in the skull containing an eye and its external structures.
- intransitive verb To move in an orbit.
- intransitive verb To revolve around (a center of attraction).
- intransitive verb To put into an orbit.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Track; course; path, especially a path, as that in a circle or an ellipse, which returns into itself; specifically, in astronomy, the path of a planet or comet; the curve-line which a planet describes in its periodical revolution round its central body or center of revolution: as, the orbit of Jupiter or Mercury.
- noun A small orb, globe, or ball.
- noun In anatomy and zoology, the bony cavity of the skull which contains the eye; the eye-socket.
- noun In ornithology, the orbita, or circumorbital region of a bird's head; the skin of the eyelids and adjoining parts.
- noun In entomology, the border surrounding the compound eye of an insect, especially when it forms a raised ring, or differs in color or texture from the rest of the head.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Astron.) The path described by a heavenly body in its periodical revolution around another body.
- noun Rare & Improper An orb or ball.
- noun (Anat.) The cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated.
- noun (Zoöl.) The skin which surrounds the eye of a bird.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A circular or elliptical
path of one objectaround another object. - noun A
sphere of influence ; an area of control. - noun The
course of one'susual progression , or theextent of one's typicalrange . - noun anatomy The bony cavity containing the
eyeball ; theeye socket . - noun physics The path an electron takes around an atom's nucleus.
- noun mathematics A collection of points related by the evolution function of a
dynamical system . - verb To
circle or revolve around another object. - verb To move around the general
vicinity of something. - verb To place an object into an orbit around a planet.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb move in an orbit
- noun a particular environment or walk of life
- noun the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another
- noun the bony cavity in the skull containing the eyeball
- noun an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control:
- noun the path of an electron around the nucleus of an atom
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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They speak of the sun's motion, and of the sun's orbit, _but they do not say that the earth is the center of that orbit_.
Fables of Infidelity and Facts of Faith Being an Examination of the Evidences of Infidelity Robert Patterson 1857
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(lower orbit) * period: from mid-March 2009 to late April* operation: 50 km circular orbit* mission: acquisition of the magnetic field of lunar surface using magnetometer and plasma observation system.
Spaceports 2008
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I do strongly think that Martian colonies will exist, enabled by spaceships built in orbit from the resources gleaned from the Moon.
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The likelihood of a crew being stranded in orbit is thus reduced.
ISS About to Have a Crew of Six With Soyuz-TMA 15 Launch - NASA Watch 2009
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I do strongly think that Martian colonies will exist, enabled by spaceships built in orbit from the resources gleaned from the Moon.
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This idea, of a gas station in orbit, is the most cost effective and quickest means of reaching the moon.
Reader's Consensus: Develop a new launch vehicle - NASA Watch 2009
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The likelihood of a crew being stranded in orbit is thus reduced.
ISS About to Have a Crew of Six With Soyuz-TMA 15 Launch - NASA Watch 2009
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Putting an object in orbit is an accomplishment only a few national governments have been able to accomplish.
Another Launch Success for SpaceX and Falcon 1 (video) - NASA Watch 2009
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The likelihood of a crew being stranded in orbit is thus reduced.
ISS About to Have a Crew of Six With Soyuz-TMA 15 Launch - NASA Watch 2009
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The use of liquids, and an engine which can restart in orbit, is * very* impressive.
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Someone might seem very interested but then “ghost” or “orbit” (which means they stop replying to messages but still engage with your social media content, liking your posts and photos); or tell obvious but seemingly unnecessary lies; another person might read “the riot act” on a first date, sternly laying down their terms for how the relationship should progress; and there are endless stories about dates reacting bizarrely, even menacingly, if rejected.
Apps promised a sexual revolution but they have just made dating weird | Rachel Connolly Rachel Connolly 2021
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Which is why it’s fortunate there’s another orbit, even closer to Earth, that promises to help alleviate the crowding. It’s called VLEO, or very low Earth orbit, and is only 60 to 250 miles (100 to 400 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface.
The next frontier in space is closer than you think – welcome to the world of very low Earth orbit satellites Sven Bilén 2025
sonofgroucho commented on the word orbit
Also the part of the skull in which the eye sits.
December 17, 2007