orb

noun \ ˈȯrb \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Definition of orb

1 : any of the concentric spheres in old astronomy surrounding the earth and carrying the celestial bodies in their revolutions

2 archaic : something circular : circle, orbit

3 : a spherical body; especially : a spherical celestial object

4 : eye

5 : a sphere surmounted by a cross symbolizing kingly power and justice

See orb defined for English-language learners

See orb defined for kids

Examples of orb in a Sentence

The moon was a silvery orb.
out of the countless celestial orbs twirling in space, the planet Earth remains the only one we can call home, so perhaps we should take care of it

Recent Examples of orb from the Web

The Avengers chase after the Tesseract, the Guardians of the Galaxy steal an orb, Thor tries to capture Aether.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "Everything to Know About Marvel’s Infinity Stones Before You See Avengers: Infinity War," 24 Apr. 2018
And at the risk of coming off like a jerk for complaining about someone's mother's meatballs recipe, the much-vaunted orbs don't travel well.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "Food & Drink / Food Chain A sad state of the sandwich at Portage Park Italian deli Rosie's Sidekick," 9 July 2018
The refrain: the seething orb of the sun, reflecting the fever back here on earth, and lending a sense of eternity to Jafa’s theme — the eternity of oppression, and the persistence of love and honor in its face.

— cate mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "At the ICA, throwing conceptual grenades," 28 June 2018
The prickly orbs bounced through the air and bunched up in front of doorways, in side yards, in backyards and against fences.

— javier panzar, latimes.com, "Howling wind and tumbleweeds wreak havoc in Victorville," 18 Apr. 2018
Its crispiness adds texture to the orb's juiciness.

— jim shahin, chicagotribune.com, "The best way to grill a burger keeps it off the grate," 26 June 2018
This rocky orb is riddled with scars, created by objects colliding with its surface over millennia.

— shannon stirone, WIRED, "Space Photos of the Week: Jupiter's Lightning Is Striking," 9 June 2018
The Qatari emir’s refusal to attend a ceremony in Riyadh last year at which Trump and Arab leaders placed their hands on a glowing orb was one example of Qatar’s disregard for its neighbors, Hammadi said.

— liz sly, Washington Post, "Princely feuds in the Persian Gulf thwart Trump’s efforts to resolve the Qatar dispute," 13 May 2018
Sometimes the orb pops back up, a ball of cream balanced on a whale’s watery exhale.

— sharon olds, The New Yorker, "For You," 7 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of orb

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French orbe, borrowed from Latin orbis "disk, circle, sphere, orbit," perhaps a derivative of an Indo-European verbal base *h₃erbh- "turn, be turned over, undergo transfer," whence also Tocharian B yerpe "disk," Hittite harp- "change sides, change allegiance"

Note: See also etymology at ¹orphan.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

orb Synonyms

orb

verb

Definition of orb

transitive verb

1 : to form into a disk or circle

2 archaic : encircle, surround, enclose

intransitive verb

archaic : to move in an orbit

Origin and Etymology of orb

derivative of ¹orb

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1600

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

ORB Defined for English Language Learners

orb

noun

Definition of orb for English Language Learners

: something (such as a planet, the sun, or the moon) that is shaped like a ball
: a gold ball with a cross on top that is carried by a king or queen on formal occasions as a symbol of power and justice