Standard Lemma guide

orbit

noun · verb · 24 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɔː.bɪt/
  • General-American: /ˈɔɹ.bɪt/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)bɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 R B AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The curved path of one object around a point or another body.

An elliptical movement of an object about a celestial object or Lagrange point, especially a periodic elliptical revolution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The curved path of one object around a point or another body.

An elliptical movement of an object about a celestial object or Lagrange point, especially a periodic elliptical revolution.

One complete circuit round an orbited body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The curved path of one object around a point or another body.

The state of moving in an orbit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The curved path of one object around a point or another body.

The path of an electron around an atomic nucleus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The curved path of one object around a point or another body.

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: pinball

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A sphere of influence; an area or extent of activity, interest, or control.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

Examples

  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The bony cavity in the skull of a vertebrate containing the eyeball.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eye socket, cranial orbit

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

The bony cavity in the skull of a vertebrate containing the eyeball.

The area around the eye of a bird or other animal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: anatomy, biology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eye socket, cranial orbit

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A collection of points related by the evolution function of a dynamical system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: geometry, group-theory, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

The number of hands such that each player at the table has posted the big blind once.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: Texas hold 'em

Topics: card-games, poker

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

A state of increased excitement, activity, or anger.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, informal, uncountable

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To circle or revolve around another object or position.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

Examples

  • The Earth orbits the Sun.
  • The satellite orbits the Lagrange point.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To circle or revolve around another object or position.

To place an object (e.g. a satellite) into an orbit around a planet.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

Examples

  • A rocket was used to orbit the satellite.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: launch

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To move around the general vicinity of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: circumambulate, tag along

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To move in a circle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To center (around).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

To continue to follow or engage with someone by means of social media after breaking up with them.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Qualifier: dating

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

noun

Meaning 19

an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control:

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the range of a supersonic jet
  • a piano has a greater range than the human voice
  • the ambit of municipal legislation
  • within the compass of this article
  • within the scope of an investigation
  • outside the reach of the law
  • in the political orbit of a world power

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: scope, range, reach, compass, ambit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: extent

Narrower terms: approximate range, ballpark, confines, contrast, internationality, internationalism, latitude, horizon, view, purview, sweep, expanse, gamut, spectrum, palette, pallet

20

noun

Meaning 20

the bony cavity in the skull containing the eyeball

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eye socket, cranial orbit, orbital cavity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cavity, bodily cavity, cavum

21

noun

Meaning 21

the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he plotted the orbit of the moon

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: celestial orbit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: path, route, itinerary

Narrower terms: geosynchronous orbit

22

noun

Meaning 22

the path of an electron around the nucleus of an atom

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: electron orbit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: path, route, itinerary

23

noun

Meaning 23

a particular environment or walk of life

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his social sphere is limited
  • it was a closed area of employment
  • he's out of my orbit

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sphere, domain, area, field, arena

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: environment

Narrower terms: distaff, front, kingdom, land, realm, lap, political arena, political sphere, preserve, province, responsibility

24

verb

Meaning 24

move in an orbit

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The moon orbits around the Earth
  • The planets are orbiting the sun
  • electrons orbit the nucleus

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: orb, revolve

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: circle, circulate

Narrower terms: retrograde

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

177 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: wentelbaan — path of one object around another
  • Albanian: orbitë — path of one object around another
  • Albanian: rrokull — path of one object around another
  • Arabic: مَدَار (madār) — path of one object around another
  • Arabic: فَلَك (falak) — path of one object around another
  • Aramaic: ܡܘܙܠܬܐ (mozaltā) — path of one object around another
  • Armenian: ուղեծիր (uġecir) — path of one object around another
  • Asturian: órbita — path of one object around another
  • Azerbaijani: orbit — path of one object around another
  • Bashkir: орбита (orbita) — path of one object around another
  • Belarusian: арбі́та (arbíta) — path of one object around another
  • Bengali: কক্ষপথ (kokkhopoth) — path of one object around another
  • Breton: kelc'h — path of one object around another
  • Bulgarian: о́рбита (órbita) — path of one object around another
  • Burmese: ပတ်လမ်း (patlam:) — path of one object around another
  • Burmese: လမ်း (lam:) — path of one object around another
  • Catalan: òrbita — path of one object around another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 軌道 /轨道 (guǐdào) — path of one object around another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 軌跡 /轨迹 (guǐjì) — path of one object around another
  • Cornish: resegva — path of one object around another
  • Czech: oběžná dráha — path of one object around another
  • Czech: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Danish: kredsløb — path of one object around another
  • Danish: omløbsbane — path of one object around another
  • Dutch: baan — path of one object around another
  • Esperanto: orbito — path of one object around another
  • Estonian: orbiit — path of one object around another
  • Finnish: kiertorata — path of one object around another
  • Finnish: rata — path of one object around another
  • French: orbite — path of one object around another
  • Galician: órbita — path of one object around another
  • Georgian: ორბიტი (orbiṭi) — path of one object around another
  • German: Umlaufbahn — path of one object around another
  • German: Orbit — path of one object around another
  • Greek: τροχιά (trochiá) — path of one object around another
  • Ancient Greek: περίοδος (períodos) — path of one object around another
  • Hebrew: מַסְלוּל (maslúl) — path of one object around another
  • Hindi: कक्षा (kakṣā) — path of one object around another
  • Hindi: मदार (madār) — path of one object around another
  • Hindi: भ्रमण (bhramaṇ) — path of one object around another
  • Hungarian: pálya — path of one object around another
  • Hungarian: űrpálya — path of one object around another
  • Ido: orbito — path of one object around another
  • Italian: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Japanese: 軌道 (kidō) — path of one object around another
  • Kazakh: орбита (orbita) — path of one object around another
  • Khmer: គន្លង (kɔɔkŭənlɔɔng) — path of one object around another
  • Korean: 궤도 (gwedo) — path of one object around another
  • Kyrgyz: орбита (orbita) — path of one object around another
  • Lao: ວົງໂຄຈອນ (wong khō chǭn) — path of one object around another
  • Latin: orbis — path of one object around another
  • Latin: circuitus — path of one object around another
  • Latin: ambitus — path of one object around another
  • Latin: gȳrus — path of one object around another
  • Latvian: orbīta — path of one object around another
  • Lithuanian: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Macedonian: орбита (orbita) — path of one object around another
  • Malay: orbit — path of one object around another
  • Malayalam: ഭ്രമണപഥം (bhramaṇapathaṁ) — path of one object around another
  • Malayalam: ഭ്രമണ പഥം (bhramaṇa pathaṁ) — path of one object around another
  • Māori: amionga — path of one object around another
  • Māori: āmionga — path of one object around another
  • Marathi: कक्षा (kakṣā) — path of one object around another
  • Marathi: भ्रमणकक्षा (bhramaṇkakṣā) — path of one object around another
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bane — path of one object around another
  • Norwegian Bokmål: omløpsbane — path of one object around another
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: bane — path of one object around another
  • Occitan: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Old English: ymbgang — path of one object around another
  • Old English: ymbhwyrft — path of one object around another
  • Pashto: مدار (madār) — path of one object around another
  • Persian: مدار (madâr) — path of one object around another
  • Polish: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Portuguese: órbita — path of one object around another
  • Portuguese: círculo — path of one object around another
  • Romanian: orbită — path of one object around another
  • Russian: орби́та (orbíta) — path of one object around another
  • Sanskrit: कक्षा (kakṣā) — path of one object around another
  • Scottish Gaelic: cearcall — path of one object around another
  • Serbo-Croatian: кру́жница — path of one object around another
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̀рбита — path of one object around another
  • Serbo-Croatian: krúžnica — path of one object around another
  • Serbo-Croatian: òrbita — path of one object around another
  • Slovak: obežná dráha — path of one object around another
  • Slovak: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Slovene: krožnica — path of one object around another
  • Slovene: tirnica — path of one object around another
  • Slovene: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Slovene: tir — path of one object around another
  • Spanish: órbita — path of one object around another
  • Swahili: obiti — path of one object around another
  • Swedish: omloppsbana — path of one object around another
  • Tagalog: ligiran — path of one object around another
  • Tajik: мадор (mador) — path of one object around another
  • Tamil: சுற்று (cuṟṟu) — path of one object around another
  • Tamil: சுற்றுப்பாதை (cuṟṟuppātai) — path of one object around another
  • Telugu: కక్ష్య (kakṣya) — path of one object around another
  • Thai: วงโคจร (wong-koo-jɔɔn) — path of one object around another
  • Turkish: yörünge — path of one object around another
  • Ottoman Turkish: مدار (medar) — path of one object around another
  • Turkmen: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Ukrainian: орбі́та (orbíta) — path of one object around another
  • Urdu: مدار (madār) — path of one object around another
  • Uyghur: ئوربىتا (orbita) — path of one object around another
  • Uzbek: orbita — path of one object around another
  • Uzbek: mehvar — path of one object around another
  • Vietnamese: quỹ đạo — path of one object around another
  • Welsh: orbit m cylchdro — path of one object around another
  • Welsh: cylchlwybr — path of one object around another
  • Bashkir: даирә (dairə) — sphere of influence
  • Bulgarian: о́рбита (órbita) — sphere of influence
  • Finnish: vaikutuspiiri — sphere of influence
  • Galician: órbita — sphere of influence
  • Hindi: कक्षा (kakṣā) — sphere of influence
  • Hindi: प्रभाव क्षेत्र (prabhāv kṣetra) — sphere of influence
  • Old English: ymbhwyrft — sphere of influence
  • Russian: орби́та (orbíta) — sphere of influence
  • Spanish: órbita — sphere of influence
  • Turkish: uydu — sphere of influence
  • Welsh: cylch dylanwad — sphere of influence
  • Bulgarian: о́рбита (órbita) — area of activity
  • Finnish: reitti — area of activity
  • Hindi: कार्यक्षेत्र (kāryakṣetra) — area of activity
  • Hindi: गतिविधि क्षेत्र (gatividhi kṣetra) — area of activity
  • Hungarian: (szokásos/bejáratott) útvonal — area of activity
  • Marathi: कार्यक्षेत्र (kāryakṣetra) — area of activity
  • Old English: ymbhwyrft — area of activity
  • Bulgarian: о́рбита (órbita) — mathematics: collection of points related by the evolution function of a dynamical system
  • Bulgarian: о́рбита (órbita) — geometry, group theory: subset of elements of a set to which a given element can be moved by members of a specified group of transformations
  • Bulgarian: орбити́рам (orbitíram) — circle another object
  • Catalan: orbitar — circle another object
  • Cornish: resek a-dro — circle another object
  • Czech: obíhat — circle another object
  • Dutch: omcirkelen — circle another object
  • Dutch: omlopen — circle another object
  • Finnish: kiertää — circle another object
  • French: orbiter autour de — circle another object
  • Galician: orbitar — circle another object
  • German: umkreisen — circle another object
  • Hindi: कक्षा (kakṣā) — circle another object
  • Hindi: मदार (madār) — circle another object
  • Hindi: भ्रमण (bhramaṇ) — circle another object
  • Hungarian: kering — circle another object
  • Irish: fithisigh — circle another object
  • Japanese: 周回する (shūkaisuru) — circle another object
  • Japanese: 公転する (kōtensuru) — circle another object
  • Malayalam: ഭ്രമണം ചെയ്യുക (bhramaṇaṁ ceyyuka) — circle another object
  • Māori: amio — circle another object
  • Old English: ymbhweorfan — circle another object
  • Pashto: څرخول (carkhawəl) — circle another object
  • Persian: دورادن — circle another object
  • Polish: krążyć — circle another object
  • Polish: orbitować — circle another object
  • Portuguese: orbitar — circle another object
  • Sindhi: مَدارُ (madāru) — circle another object
  • Spanish: orbitar — circle another object
  • Tamil: சுற்று (cuṟṟu) — circle another object
  • Telugu: కక్ష్య (kakṣya) — circle another object
  • Turkish: yörüngede dönmek — circle another object
  • Ukrainian: оберта́тися (obertátysja) — circle another object
  • Welsh: troi o gwmpas — circle another object
  • Welsh: cylchdroi — circle another object
  • Catalan: posar en òrbita — place an object into an orbit
  • Czech: vyslat na oběžnou dráhu — place an object into an orbit
  • Finnish: viedä radalleen — place an object into an orbit
  • French: mettre en orbite — place an object into an orbit
  • German: in Umlaufbahn bringen — place an object into an orbit
  • Hungarian: pályára állít — place an object into an orbit
  • Persian: دوریدن — place an object into an orbit
  • Turkish: yörüngeye sokmak — place an object into an orbit
  • Finnish: ympäröidä — move around the general vicinity of
  • French: orbiter autour de — move around the general vicinity of
  • German: umschwirren — move around the general vicinity of
  • Hindi: प्रदक्षिणा (pradakṣiṇā) — move around the general vicinity of
  • Hindi: परिक्रमा (parikramā) — move around the general vicinity of
  • Telugu: ప్రదక్షిణం (pradakṣiṇaṁ) — move around the general vicinity of
  • Turkish: etki alanına girmek — move around the general vicinity of
Real reading context

orbit in complete knowledge articles

Geosynchronous orbit Literature & books · Advanced · 63 uses Human spaceflight Science & nature · Challenging · 37 uses Orbit determination History & culture · Advanced · 34 uses Journey of Apollo 15 to the Moon Science & nature · Developing · 29 uses Lunar Gateway Science & nature · Advanced · 18 uses STS-135 Science & nature · Challenging · 18 uses Parking orbit Technology & inventions · Challenging · 16 uses Apollo 6 Technology & inventions · Challenging · 12 uses