orbit

1 of 3

noun (1)

or·​bit ˈȯr-bət 

1

a

: a path described by one body in its revolution about another (as by the earth about the sun or by an electron about an atomic nucleus)

also : one complete revolution of a body describing such a path

b

: a circular path

2

: a range or sphere of activity or influence

within the president's orbit

orbit

2 of 3

verb

orbited; orbiting; orbits

transitive verb

1

: to revolve in an orbit around : circle

2

: to send up and make revolve in an orbit

orbit a satellite

intransitive verb

: to travel in circles

orbit

3 of 3

noun (2)

: the bony socket of the eye

The orbit encloses and protects the eye and its appendages.

Synonyms of orbit

Verb

• circle
• traverse

Choose the Right Synonym for orbit

range, gamut, compass, sweep, scope, orbit mean the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control).

range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.

the entire range of human experience

gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.

a performance that ran the gamut of emotions

compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.

your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study

sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.

the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity

scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.

as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened

orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.

within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change

Examples of orbit in a Sentence

Verb

The Moon orbits the Earth.

The satellites orbit at different heights.

The Moon orbits around the Earth.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Swift is expected to follow in early November as its orbit steadily sinks. — Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

SpaceX is taking the opportunity to load Starship with a stack of 26 operational Starlink Version 3 (V3) satellites for deployment in low Earth orbit (LEO). — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026

Verb

The $74 million mission was designed to snap photographs of Mars and study the planet's atmosphere for up to 10 months, but did perform science for over a year and continued to orbit the Red Planet through October 2022. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2026

That changed in 2013, when a small, dark body orbiting between Saturn and Uranus passed in front of a star and blinked twice on either side of the main event, revealing two narrow rings around an object barely 250 kilometers across. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from Latin orbita "track, rut, path of a heavenly body," probably derivative of an adjective stem *orbi-t- "wheel-like," derivative of orbis "disk, circle, wheel" — more at orb entry 1

Verb

derivative of orbit entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English orbite, orbita, borrowed from Medieval Latin orbita (probably as translation of Greek trochiá), going back to Latin, "track, rut, path of a heavenly body" — more at orbit entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1943, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing orbit

• low earth orbit

Rhymes for orbit

• sorbate
• ascorbate

Kids Definition

orbit

1 of 3 noun

or·​bit ˈȯr-bət 

: one of the bone-lined cavities for the eyes in the vertebrate skull

called also eye socket

orbit

2 of 3 noun

: the path taken by one body circling around another body

the orbit of the earth around the sun

also : one complete circle that makes up such a path

orbital

-ᵊl

adjective

orbit

3 of 3 verb

1

: to move in an orbit around : circle

the moon orbits the earth

2

: to send up so as to move in an orbit

orbit a satellite

Etymology

Noun

Middle English orbit "eye socket," from Latin orbita (same meaning), from earlier orbita "path, rut, track"

Noun

from Latin orbita "path, rut, track"

Medical Definition

orbit

noun

or·​bit ˈȯr-bət 

: the bony cavity perforated for the passage of nerves and blood vessels that occupies the lateral front of the skull immediately beneath the frontal bone on each side and encloses and protects the eye and its appendages

called also eye socket, orbital cavity

orbital

-ᵊl 

adjective