n.
- the regularly repeated elliptical course of a celestial object or spacecraft about a star or planet.
▸the path of an electron round an atomic nucleus.
- a field of activity or influence:
they brought many friends within the orbit of our lives.
- Anatomy the eye socket.
v.
(orbits, orbiting, orbited)
move in orbit round (a star or planet).
▸put (a satellite) into orbit.
Phrase
- into orbit
informal into a state of heightened activity, anger, or excitement.
Derivative
Etymology
C16: from L. orbita ‘course, track’, fem. of orbitus ‘circular’.