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
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
People have lined up at points where these orbs are placed in cities like Madrid and Barcelona in recent months.
—Joseph Wilson, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024
Topping found few of these orbs below the soil layer with the errant radiocarbon dates, and few after.
—Zach St. George, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere in the home: Switch out geometric light fixtures for orbs to soften a dining room, or replace square throw pillows with round ones in a living room to add a soft touch to a rectangular sofa.
—Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2024
The more amusing newcomers include Kumail Nanjiani as Nadeem, who sets the events in motion by unwittingly selling the orb containing the vengeful god; Patton Oswalt as a library researcher who gleefully provides helpful information; and James Acaster as Lars, a droll scientist in Winston’s lab.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024
The lights were described as a series of orbs or a solid object with a row of lights.
—The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024
Featuring three orbs and a rectangular bowl to elegantly hold them, this Amazon collection also includes matching vases to complete the ensemble.
—Jessica Copeland, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2024
Making them all the more special are their shimmering orbs, of which four sit at the front of their faces.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 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
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
Noun
The giant moon that glowed behind Batiste didn’t quite vibe with the spirit of the song, but the luminous orb was at least eye-catching, if puzzling.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
People have lined up at points where these orbs are placed in cities like Madrid and Barcelona in recent months.
—Joseph Wilson, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024
Topping found few of these orbs below the soil layer with the errant radiocarbon dates, and few after.
—Zach St. George, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere in the home: Switch out geometric light fixtures for orbs to soften a dining room, or replace square throw pillows with round ones in a living room to add a soft touch to a rectangular sofa.
—Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2024
The more amusing newcomers include Kumail Nanjiani as Nadeem, who sets the events in motion by unwittingly selling the orb containing the vengeful god; Patton Oswalt as a library researcher who gleefully provides helpful information; and James Acaster as Lars, a droll scientist in Winston’s lab.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024
The lights were described as a series of orbs or a solid object with a row of lights.
—The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024
Featuring three orbs and a rectangular bowl to elegantly hold them, this Amazon collection also includes matching vases to complete the ensemble.
—Jessica Copeland, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2024
Making them all the more special are their shimmering orbs, of which four sit at the front of their faces.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near orb
Cite this Entry
“Orb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orb. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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