Meaning of orbit in English | Powered by Free Dictionary API

noun

• A circular or elliptical path of one object around another object, particularly in astronomy and space travel.

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

• A sphere of influence; an area of control.

  Example: In the post WWII era, several eastern European countries came into the orbit of the Soviet Union.

• The course of one's usual progression, or the extent of one's typical range.

  Example: The convenience store was a heavily travelled point in her daily orbit, as she purchased both cigarettes and lottery tickets there.

• The bony cavity containing the eyeball; the eye socket.

• A mathematical function that describes the wave-like behavior of an electron in an atom; area of the highest probability of electron´s occurrence around the atom's nucleus.

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

• 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.

• A state of increased excitement, activity, or anger.

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

• 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.

verb

• To circle or revolve around another object.

  Example: The Earth orbits the Sun.

• To move around the general vicinity of something.

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

• To place an object into an orbit around a planet.

  Example: A rocket was used to orbit the satellite.