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⇱ orbital - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

orbital

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈɔːbɪtəl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈɔrbɪtəl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ôr′bi tl)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
or•bit•al  (ôr′bi tl),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. Physics, Aerospace, Astronomyof or pertaining to an orbit.

n. 
  1. Physics
    • a wave function describing the state of a single electron in an atom (atomic orbital) or in a molecule (molecular orbital.)
    • the electron in that state.
  • Neo-Latin, Medieval Latin orbitālis; see orbit, -al1
  • 1535–45

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
orbital /ˈɔːbɪtəl/ adj
  1. of or denoting an orbit
  2. (of a motorway or major road circuit) circling a large city
 n
  1. a region surrounding an atomic nucleus in which the probability distribution of the electrons is given by a wave function
  2. an orbital road
ˈorbitally adv
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
or•bit /ˈɔrbɪt/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. Astronomythe curved path, usually rounded, that a planet, satellite, spaceship, etc., follows around a heavenly body: [countable]a comet with a very irregular orbit.[uncountable; in/into + ~]a spacecraft in orbit.
  2. the area of a nation's or a person's influence:[countable]within England's orbit.

v. 
  1. Astronomyto move or travel around in an orbital or rounded path: [~ + object]The satellite orbited the earth.[no object]The moon orbited above the horizon.
  2. Aerospace[~ + object] to send into orbit, as a satellite.
or•bit•al /ˈɔrbɪtəl/USA pronunciation  adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
or•bit  (ôr′bit),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Astronomythe curved path, usually elliptical, described by a planet, satellite, spaceship, etc., around a celestial body, as the sun.
  2. the usual course of one's life or range of one's activities.
  3. the sphere of power or influence, as of a nation or person:a small nation in the Russian orbit.
  4. Physics(in Bohr theory) the path traced by an electron revolving around the nucleus of an atom.
  5. an orb or sphere.
  6. Anatomy
    • the bony cavity of the skull that contains the eye;
      eye socket.
    • Anatomythe eye.
  7. Zoologythe part surrounding the eye of a bird or insect.

v.t. 
  1. Astronomyto move or travel around in an orbital or elliptical path:The earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days.
  2. Aerospaceto send into orbit, as a satellite.

v.i. 
  1. to go or travel in an orbit.
  • Latin orbita wheel track, course, circuit
  • Middle English 1350–1400
or′bit•ar′y, adj. 

'orbital' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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