| orbit | |
| 1. n. A circular or elliptical path of one object around another object, particularly in astronomy and space travel. | |
| The Moon's orbit around the Earth takes nearly one month to complete. | |
| 2. n. A sphere of influence; an area of control. | |
| In the post WWII era, several eastern European countries came into the orbit of the Soviet Union. | |
| 3. n. The course of one's usual progression, or the extent of one's typical range. | |
| The convenience store was a heavily travelled point in her daily orbit, as she purchased both cigarettes and lottery tickets there. | |
| 4. n. (anatomy) The bony cavity containing the eyeball; the eye socket. | |
| 5. n. (physics) 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. | |
| 6. n. (mathematics) A collection of points related by the evolution function of a dynamical system. | |
| 7. n. (geometry, group theory) 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. | |
| 8. n. (informal) A state of increased excitement, activity, or anger. | |
| Dad went into orbit when I told him that I'd crashed the car. | |
| 9. v. To circle or revolve around another object. | |
| The Earth orbits the Sun. | |
| 10. v. To move around the general vicinity of something. | |
| The harried mother had a cloud of children orbiting her, asking for sweets. | |
| 11. v. To place an object into an orbit around a planet. | |
| A rocket was used to orbit the satellite. | |
