: the bony socket of the eye
The orbit encloses and protects the eye and its appendages.
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
orbited; orbiting; orbits
1
: to revolve in an orbit around : circle
2
: to send up and make revolve in an orbit
orbit a satellite
: to travel in circles
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
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 May 2025
If all goes well, MMX will arrive in orbit around Mars in 2027 to begin mapping and analyzing Phobos and Deimos and search for a landing site.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 23 May 2025
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 23 May 2025
Evidence gleaned from orbiting spacecraft observations, as well as results announced earlier this year from China's Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 missions, is largely consistent with the existence of at least a weak magnetic field on the early Moon.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for orbit
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Noun
As the moon orbits around Earth and Earth orbits around the sun, the amount of sunlight that reflects off the moon and travels to our eyes changes every day until the moon appears as full.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 May 2025
If all goes well, MMX will arrive in orbit around Mars in 2027 to begin mapping and analyzing Phobos and Deimos and search for a landing site.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
Moon rocks brought to Earth during NASA's Apollo missions in the 1960s and '70s, as well as data from orbiting spacecraft, have shown that parts of the lunar surface — particularly on the farside — contain rocks with surprisingly strong magnetic signatures.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 23 May 2025
Evidence gleaned from orbiting spacecraft observations, as well as results announced earlier this year from China's Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 missions, is largely consistent with the existence of at least a weak magnetic field on the early Moon.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for orbit
Cite this Entry
“Orbit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orbit. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
adjective
-ᵊl
orbit
3 of 3 verb1
: 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
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