1
: any of the concentric spheres in old astronomy surrounding the earth and carrying the celestial bodies in their revolutions
3
: a spherical body
especially
: a spherical celestial object
4
: eye
5
: a sphere surmounted by a cross symbolizing kingly power and justice
orbed; orbing; orbs
archaic
: to move in an orbit
Synonyms
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
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2024
Using the orb webs of bridge spiders on the Binghamton University campus, Miles and Jian Zhou, who is also a mechanical engineer at the university, led tests of their sensitivities.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 May 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for orb 
Noun
Visitors flock here from around the world to stand before trees that count their age in centuries, rooted in the soil of a spinning orb that’s flying through space.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2024
Using the orb webs of bridge spiders on the Binghamton University campus, Miles and Jian Zhou, who is also a mechanical engineer at the university, led tests of their sensitivities.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 May 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
See all Example Sentences for orb
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.
Dictionary Entries Near orb
Cite this Entry
“Orb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orb. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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