orb

English

Etymology

French orbe, from Latin orbis (“circle, orb”). Compare orbit.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /oɹb/
• (UK) IPA: /ɔː(r)b/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)b

Noun

orb (plural orbs)

1. A spherical body; a globe; especially, one of the celestial spheres; a sun, planet, or star

   In the small orb of one particular tear. --Shakespeare

   Whether the prime orb, Incredible how swift, had thither rolled. -- John Milton

2. One of the azure transparent spheres conceived by the ancients to be inclosed one within another, and to carry the heavenly bodies in their revolutions
3. A circle; especially, a circle, or nearly circular orbit, described by the revolution of a heavenly body; an orbit

   The schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics, and epicycles, and such engines of orbs. --Bacon

   You seem to me as Dian in her orb. --Shakespeare

   In orbs Of circuit inexpressible they stood, Orb within orb. --John Milton

4. (rare) A period of time marked off by the revolution of a heavenly body. --John Milton
5. (poetic) The eye, as luminous and spherical

   A drop serene hath quenched their orbs. --John Milton

6. (poetic) A revolving circular body; a wheel

   The orbs Of his fierce chariot rolled. --John Milton

7. (rare) A sphere of action. --William Wordsworth

   But in our orbs we'll live so round and safe. --Shakespeare

8. A globus cruciger
9. A translucent sphere appearing in flash photography

Translations

spherical body

Chinese: 天體, 天体 Finnish: pallo (fi) French: orbe (fr) m. German: Kugel (de) f. Greek: σφαίρα (el) f. (sfaíra) Hebrew: כדור (he) (kador) Italian: orbe (it)

Japanese: 球体 (ja) Korean: 천체 (ko) Portuguese: orbe (pt) m. Russian: сфера (ru) f. Spanish: orbe (es) m. Volapük: levalaglöp (vo)

mythology: transparent sphere carrying the heavenly bodies

Finnish: sfääri (fi)

circle — see circle

orbit — see orbit

period of time marked off by the revolution of a heavenly body — see year

poetic: the eye, as luminous and spherical

Italian: occhio (it), globo (it)

poetic: a revolving circular body; a wheel

Finnish: pyörä (fi)

Italian: sfera (it)

sphere of action

Finnish: ympyrät (fi) pl.

same as mound, a ball or globe
See mound, ball, globe

Verb

orb (third-person singular simple present orbs, present participle orbing, simple past and past participle orbed)

1. (poetic) to form into an orb or circle

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Lowell to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)

2. (poetic) (transitive) to encircle; to surround; to inclose
3. (poetic) (intransitive) to become round like an orb

References

• orb in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

• bor
• bro
• rob, Rob

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Catalan

Etymology

from Latin orbus

Adjective

orb m. (feminine orba, masculine plural orbs, feminine plural orbes)

1. blind

Synonyms

• cec

Noun

orb m. (uncountable)

1. a fungal disease of wheat and other cereals

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Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finno-Ugric *orpa along with Finnish orpo and Hungarian árva.

Noun

orb (^??? please provide the genitive and partitive!)

1. orphan

Declension

This Estonian entry needs a declension template

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Romanian

Etymology

From Latin orbus. Compare Italian orbo.

Adjective

orb ^{4 nom/acc forms}

1. blind

Declension

singular				plural
Nom/Acc		masculine & neuter	feminine	masculine	feminine & neuter
	indefinite	orb	oarbă	orbi	oarbe
	definite	orbul	oarba	orbii	oarbele
Gen/Dat	no special indefinite forms in genitive & dative cases
	definite	orbului	oarbei	orbilor	oarbelor

Noun

orb m. (plural orbi)

1. blind man

Declension

declension of orb

	singular		plural
gender m.	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	un orb	orbul	niște orbi	orbii
genitive/dative	unui orb	orbului	unor orbi	orbilor

Related terms

• orbecăi

See also

• chior
• mut
• surd
• vedea