orb

See also 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, gestirn (de) n
• Greek: σφαίρα (el) (sfaíra) f (sfaíra)
• Hebrew: כדור (he) (kador)
• Italian: orbe (it)

• Japanese: 球体 (ja)
• Korean: 천체 (ko)
• Portuguese: orbe (pt) m
• Russian: сфера (ru) (sfera) f
• Spanish: orbe (es) m
• Swedish: klot (sv) n
• Volapük: levalaglöp (vo)

mythology: transparent sphere carrying the heavenly bodies

• Finnish: sfääri (fi)

• French: sphère (fr) f

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

• French: œil (fr) m

• Italian: occhio (it), globo (it)

poetic: a revolving circular body; a wheel

• Finnish: pyörä (fi)
• French: sphère (fr) f

• 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 noun needs an inflection-table 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