Library / English Dictionary

ORBIT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Example:

in the political orbit of a world power

Synonyms:

ambit; compass; orbit; range; reach; scope

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("orbit" is a kind of...):

extent (the distance or area or volume over which something extends)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "orbit"):

approximate range; ballpark (near to the scope or range of something)

confines (a bounded scope)

contrast (the range of optical density and tone on a photographic negative or print (or the extent to which adjacent areas on a television screen differ in brightness))

internationalism; internationality (quality of being international in scope)

latitude (scope for freedom of e.g. action or thought; freedom from restriction)

horizon; purview; view (the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated)

expanse; sweep (a wide scope)

gamut (a complete extent or range:)

spectrum (a broad range of related objects or values or qualities or ideas or activities)

palette; pallet (the range of colour characteristic of a particular artist or painting or school of art)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The bony cavity in the skull containing the eyeball

Synonyms:

cranial orbit; eye socket; orbit; orbital cavity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("orbit" is a kind of...):

bodily cavity; cavity; cavum ((anatomy) a natural hollow or sinus within the body)

Meronyms (parts of "orbit"):

lacrimal bone (small fragile bone making up part of the front inner walls of each eye socket and providing room for the passage of the lacrimal ducts)

Holonyms ("orbit" is a part of...):

skull (the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates)

Derivation:

orbital (of or relating to the eye socket)

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Example:

he plotted the orbit of the moon

Synonyms:

celestial orbit; orbit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("orbit" is a kind of...):

itinerary; path; route (an established line of travel or access)

Meronyms (parts of "orbit"):

periapsis; point of periapsis ((astronomy) the point in an orbit closest to the body being orbited)

apoapsis; point of apoapsis ((astronomy) the point in an orbit farthest from the body being orbited)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "orbit"):

geosynchronous orbit (a circular orbit around the Earth having a period of 24 hours)

Derivation:

orbit (move in an orbit)

orbital (of or relating to an orbit)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The path of an electron around the nucleus of an atom

Synonyms:

electron orbit; orbit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("orbit" is a kind of...):

itinerary; path; route (an established line of travel or access)

Derivation:

orbit (move in an orbit)

orbital (of or relating to an orbit)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A particular environment or walk of life

Example:

he's out of my orbit

Synonyms:

area; arena; domain; field; orbit; sphere

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("orbit" is a kind of...):

environment (the totality of surrounding conditions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "orbit"):

distaff (the sphere of work by women)

front (a sphere of activity involving effort)

kingdom; land; realm (a domain in which something is dominant)

lap (an area of control or responsibility)

political arena; political sphere (a sphere of intense political activity)

preserve (a domain that seems to be specially reserved for someone)

province; responsibility (the proper sphere or extent of your activities)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move in an orbit

Example:

electrons orbit the nucleus

Synonyms:

orb; orbit; revolve

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "orbit" is one way to...):

circle (move in a circular path above (someone or something))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "orbit"):

retrograde (move backward in an orbit, of celestial bodies)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s something

Derivation:

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

orbit (the path of an electron around the nucleus of an atom)

orbiter (man-made equipment that orbits around the earth or the moon)

Credits

 Context examples: 

When a planet orbits a star, it triggers a small reflex movement back and forth.

(Researchers find two new planets with masses similar to Earth’s near a small neighbouring star, University of Granada)

A small rectangular thin plate forming part of the medial orbit wall.

(Lacrimal Bone, NCI Thesaurus)

A non-metastasizing neoplasm that arises from the orbit.

(Benign Orbit Neoplasm, NCI Thesaurus)

A benign hemangiopericytoma arising from the orbit.

(Benign Orbit Hemangiopericytoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A rare congenital abnormality characterized by the complete absence of ocular tissue in the orbit.

(Anophthalmos, NCI Thesaurus)

In 2012, the eight-ton Envisat Earth Observation satellite unexpectedly shut-down in orbit, where it remains.

(Australia Developing Lasers to Track, Destroy Space Junk, VOA)

A rare congenital abnormality characterized by the complete absence of ocular tissue in both orbits.

(Bilateral Anophthalmos, NCI Thesaurus)

The most common site of involvement is the head and neck, particularly the orbit and tongue.

(Childhood Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A bone of the skull forming the forehead, root of the nose and the roof of both orbits.

(Frontal Bone, NCI Thesaurus)

The muscle in the orbit of the eye that lifts the upper eyelid.

(Eyelid Muscle, NCI Thesaurus)