orb

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noun \ ˈȯrb \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

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

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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

Chippewa Indians let loose flaming arrows toward the sky, intending to reignite that life-giving orb.

— sarah scoles, Discover Magazine, "Eclipse 2017: Mind Melt," 7 Aug. 2017
The primary stage focal point is a large looming disk as a glowing backdrop, which set designer Eugenio Caballero describes as an orb symbol of the grandeur of Mexican architecture.

— philip potempa, Post-Tribune, "Latest Cirque du Soleil show 'Luzia' both dreamy and dazzling," 25 July 2017
In a study published this month in Applied Physics Letters researchers collected some golden silk orb-weaver spiders (Nephila edulis and N. pilipes, the latter pictured), raised them in the lab, and collected their dragline silk.

— lakshmi supriya, Science | AAAS, "Scientists uncover trick to spider’s stealth," 14 July 2017
But these crunchy-good, breaded orbs are obviously of the pork variety (not made with chicken, like at Basque eateries in the Valley), with a molten béchamel filling pocked with noticeable chunks of smoky ham.

— james patrick kelly, idahostatesman, "The Ranch Club’s menu pays homage to Idaho," 6 July 2017
The setting sun was a brilliant orb burning against a muted blue and orange sky.

— vicky ho, Alaska Dispatch News, "Start your Bomber hike early, or be willing to face the consequences," 23 June 2017
A squat green orb, it's got exactly one 6,000 BTU burner and looks like a typical camp stove got friendly with a Baby Weber barbecue.

— kevin dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Quest to Find the Best Camp Stove," 23 June 2017
The moon is an uninhabitable orb of rock where, at night, temperatures can drop below minus 200 degrees Celsius, low enough to freeze-weld steel.

— simon parkin, Ars Technica, "Sand worms and lightning: Aven Colony takes city-building to exoplanets," 22 June 2017
That was the thinking for those of us who can remember Neil Armstrong’s first steps on that distant orb.

— punch shaw, star-telegram.com, "‘King O’ the Moon’ captures America in 1969," 19 June 2017

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

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orb Synonyms

Synonyms

globe, ¹ball, sphere

Related Words

bead, globule; egg, ellipse, loop, oval, spheroid; circle, ring, rondure, round; chunk, clump, gob, hunk, lump, nugget, wad

Near Antonyms

block, cube, rectangle, square

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

See Words from the same year

ORB Defined for English Language Learners

orb

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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