orb

1 of 2

noun

1
: any of the concentric spheres in old astronomy surrounding the earth and carrying the celestial bodies in their revolutions
2
archaic : something circular : circle, orbit
3
: a spherical body
especially : a spherical celestial object
4
: eye
5
: a sphere surmounted by a cross symbolizing kingly power and justice

orb

2 of 2

verb

orbed; orbing; orbs

transitive verb

1
: to form into a disk or circle
2
archaic : encircle, surround, enclose

intransitive verb

archaic : to move in an orbit

Examples of orb in a Sentence

Noun The moon was a silvery orb. out of the countless celestial orbs twirling in space, the planet Earth remains the only one we can call home, so perhaps we should take care of it
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Rows of dots sit below a smeary red orb, as if the sun is setting on a land of abstract forms. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, a slacker dude named Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani) rolls into the occult book store of Ray Stantz (Aykroyd) with an orb owned by his late grandma. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Or a massive orb of flowery-black and white fabric with sleeves trailing to the ground, look number 6 from Comme des Garçons spring 2023. Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2024 The music in the telecast, with Rickey Minor’s band emanating from a glowing orb above the stage, was good throughout, even in that strange portion early in the show during which one below-the-line winner after another was getting played off early. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Her only tools are a brass dagger stitched into her bodice and a filigreed orb that serves as a lamp. Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 The Blue Marble shows our home planet in isolation – a living orb in the vacuum of space – simultaneously evoking the splendor and precariousness of our environment. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, Ray receives a visitor (Nadeem) offering to sell him a mysterious orb. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2024 Other dancers emerge dressed in outdoor gear and holding lanterns, orbs of lights and their own journals. Gloria Oladipo, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Among other unexplained events, staff have reported doors closing of their own accord, elevators stopping at various floors for no reason, ghostly orbs, and a strange scent of hospital antiseptic. Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023 Expect to see the king and queen donning some of the most sacred items in the Crown Jewels collection, from the famous sceptres and orb to their priceless royal crowns. Harper's BAZAAR, 6 May 2023 Twelve different patch notes were added to the list after the fact, including nerfs to orb generation from certain mods and nerfs to a certain kind of grapple playstyle. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023 In two investigations, published on back-to-back days in April 2022 by BuzzFeed News and MIT Tech Review, journalists alleged that Worldcoin trials in developing countries were riddled with deceptive promises made both to orb operators and participants. Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 21 Mar. 2023 Despite it being named the Pink Moon, don't expect to see the giant orb in that exact shade. Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE.com, 13 Apr. 2022 To create a small foyer of sorts, Eckley hung silver orb planters that catch the light but don’t completely wall off the space from the rest of the garden. Deanna Kizis, Sunset Magazine, 14 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French orbe, borrowed from Latin orbis "disk, circle, sphere, orbit," perhaps a derivative of an Indo-European verbal base *h3erbh- "turn, be turned over, undergo transfer," whence also Tocharian B yerpe "disk," Hittite harp- "change sides, change allegiance"

Note: See also etymology at orphan entry 1.

Verb

derivative of orb entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of orb was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near orb

Cite this Entry

“Orb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orb. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

orb

noun
ˈȯ(ə)rb
1
: something (as a planet) in the shape of a ball
2

More from Merriam-Webster on orb

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