orbit

noun

/ˈɔːbɪt/

/ˈɔːrbɪt/

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[countable, uncountable] a curved path followed by a planet or an object as it moves around another planet, star, moon, etc.
- the earth’s orbit around the sun
- in orbit a space station in orbit around the moon
- into orbit A new satellite has been put into orbit around the earth.
Wordfinder
- astronaut
- countdown
- dock
- launch
- mission
- orbit
- rocket
- satellite
- space
- weightless
Wordfinder
- asteroid
- astronomy
- comet
- constellation
- cosmic
- galaxy
- meteorite
- orbit
- space
- the universe
Extra Examples
- The spaceship made an orbit of the moon.
- Mercury follows an elliptical orbit.
- He spent eleven months in orbit.
Topics Spaceb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- circular
- elliptical
- eccentric
- …
verb + orbit
- enter
- go into
- reach
- …
preposition
- in orbit
- orbit around
- orbit round
- …
See full entry
[singular] an area that a particular person, organization, etc. deals with or is able to influence
- within somebody's orbit to come/fall/be within somebody’s orbit

Word Originmid 16th cent. (referring to the eye socket): from Latin orbita ‘course, track’ (in medieval Latin ‘eye socket’), feminine of orbitus ‘circular’, from orbis ‘ring’.

orbit

verb

/ˈɔːbɪt/

/ˈɔːrbɪt/

[transitive, intransitive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they orbit	/ˈɔːbɪt/ /ˈɔːrbɪt/
he / she / it orbits	/ˈɔːbɪts/ /ˈɔːrbɪts/
past simple orbited	/ˈɔːbɪtɪd/ /ˈɔːrbɪtɪd/
past participle orbited	/ˈɔːbɪtɪd/ /ˈɔːrbɪtɪd/
-ing form orbiting	/ˈɔːbɪtɪŋ/ /ˈɔːrbɪtɪŋ/

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to move in an orbit (= a curved path) around a much larger object, especially a planet, star, etc.
- Stars near the edge of the galaxy orbit more slowly.
- orbit something The earth takes a year to orbit the sun.
- orbit around something This technique has been used to detect planets orbiting around other stars.
Topics Spaceb2
Word Originmid 16th cent. (referring to the eye socket): from Latin orbita ‘course, track’ (in medieval Latin ‘eye socket’), feminine of orbitus ‘circular’, from orbis ‘ring’.