orb en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ɔɹb/ (General-American)
- /ɔːb/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English orbe, from Old French orbe, from Latin orbis (“circle, orb”). Compare orbit.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A spherical body; a sphere, especially one of the celestial spheres; a sun, planet, or star
In the small orb of one particular tear.
c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act LOVER'S COMPLAINT]:Whether the prime orb, Incredible how swift, had thither rolled.
1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- (countable, uncountable) Celestial sphere; one of the azure transparent spheres conceived by the ancients to be enclosed one within another, and to carry the heavenly bodies in their revolutions
- (countable, uncountable) A structural motif or finial in the shape of a sphere
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(countable, uncountable) An orbit of an heavenly body
The schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics, and epicycles, and such engines of orbs.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Superstition”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:In orbs / Of circuit inexpressible they stood, / Orb within orb.
1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:You seem to me as Dian in her orb.
1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
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(countable, rare, uncountable) The time period of an orbit
Know none before us, self-begot, self-rais'd / By our own quick'ning power, when fatal course / Had circl'd his full Orbe, the birth mature / Of this our native Heav'n, Ethereal Sons.
1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book V:
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(countable, poetic, uncountable) The eye, seen as a luminous and spherical entity
A drop serene hath quenched their orbs.
1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:Painfully, he forced his hot eyelids to unclose, and his distended orbs sought for some object whereon to fix; they met the patch of grass, yet red with the blood of Walter Maynard.
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Assignation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 260:
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(countable, poetic, uncountable) Any revolving circular body, such as a wheel
The orbs Of his fierce chariot rolled.
1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
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(countable, rare, uncountable) A sphere of action.
By what fatality the orb of my genius […] acts upon these men like the moon upon a certain description of patients, it would be irksome to inquire
1815, William Wordsworth, Essay, Supplementary to the Preface:But in our orbs we'll live so round and safe.
c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
- (countable, uncountable) A globus cruciger; a ceremonial sphere used to represent royal or imperial power
- (countable, uncountable) A translucent sphere appearing in flash photography (Orb (optics))
- (countable, uncountable) A body of soldiers drawn up in a circle, as for defence, especially infantry to repel cavalry.
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(uncountable) Amount of deviation from the closest perfect aspect.
Astrologers' opinions vary on how many degrees of orb to allow for each aspect.
2012, Kris Brandt Riske, Llewellyn's 2013 Sun Sign Book: Horoscopes for Everyone, page 18:For example Mars has its orb 7 degrees to the Sun.
2015, Padam Singh, Krishna Attri, Astrology For Stock Market:For example, an approaching transitioning aspect (i.e., for 120 degrees) is effective when it remains within 2 degrees of orb on either side of the perfect angle.
2005, William Noah, Astrology of America, page 234:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| orbs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
red-legged golden orb-weaver spider · orblike · golden silk orb-weaver · semiorb · semi-orb · orbless · orblet · orb spider · inorb · orb-web spider · orby · orbic · disorb · sea orb · orbical
Synonyms
field (sphere of action) · circle (circle) · eye (an eye) · mound (monarch's ceremonial sphere) · globe (spherical body) · orbit (circle) · wheel (revolving circular body) · sphere (spherical body) · domain (sphere of action) · globe (military formation) · area (sphere of action) · roller (revolving circular body) · province (sphere of action) · ball (spherical body) · year (a period of time) · globe (monarch's ceremonial sphere) · globus cruciger (monarch's ceremonial sphere)
Translations (45)
ko 천체 (spherical body) · nl bol (spherical body) · it occhio (poetic: the eye, as luminous and spherical) · da kugle (spherical body) · cmn 球體 /球体 (spherical body) · cmn 天体 (spherical body) · ru сфе́ра (spherical body) · de Gestirn (spherical body) · cs koule (spherical body) · mk сфе́ра (mythology: transparent sphere carrying the heavenly bodies) · fr sphère (mythology: transparent sphere carrying the heavenly bodies) · cs nebeské těleso (kulovité) (spherical body) · mk то́пка (spherical body) · nl oogappel (poetic: the eye, as luminous and spherical) · bg кълбо (spherical body) · it sfera (poetic: a revolving circular body; a wheel) · mk о́ко (poetic: the eye, as luminous and spherical) · fi ympyrät (sphere of action) · fr orbe (spherical body) · fi sfääri (mythology: transparent sphere carrying the heavenly bodies) · txb yerpe (spherical body) · de Kugel (spherical body) · mk сфе́ра (spherical body) · eo sfero (spherical body) · es orbe (mythology: transparent sphere carrying the heavenly bodies) · kk шар (spherical body) · ru шар (spherical body) · ja 球体 (spherical body) · vo levalaglöp (spherical body) · el σφαίρα (spherical body) · it globo (poetic: the eye, as luminous and spherical) · he גֻּלָּה (spherical body) · he כַּדּוּר (spherical body) · fr sphère (poetic: a revolving circular body; a wheel) · es orbe (spherical body) · it orbe (spherical body) · fi pyörä (poetic: a revolving circular body; a wheel) · mk ку́гла (spherical body) · fr œil (poetic: the eye, as luminous and spherical) · sv klot (spherical body) · bg сфера (spherical body) · la orbis (spherical body) · cs oko (poetic: the eye, as luminous and spherical) · pt orbe (spherical body) · fi pallo (spherical body)