orbit

noun
/ˈɔː.bɪt/

The curved path of one object around a point or another body.

Other meanings

An elliptical movement of an object about a celestial object or Lagrange point, especially a periodic elliptical revolution.
The state of moving in an orbit.

Synonyms

celestial orbit

Related words

banana orbit
junk orbit
exorbitism
geosynchronous orbit
high Earth orbit
medium Earth orbit
nuke it from orbit
orbifold
orbital
orbitary
orbitational
orbiter

Example sentences

“We're in orbit around a gas giant.”
Tatoeba · shekitten · CC0
“Gravity is what keeps planets in orbit around stars.”
Tatoeba · Igider · CC0

Word history

From Latin "orbita" (course, track, impression, mark).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “orbit” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.