orbital

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   relating to an orbit or to motion around another body

   The satellite made a small orbital correction before approaching the station.

2. 2
   noun

   a region around an atomic nucleus in which an electron has a high probability of being found

   Two electrons can occupy the same orbital if they have opposite spins.

3. 3
   adj

   relating to the eye socket

   The scan revealed a fracture of the orbital bone.

From Medieval Latin orbitalis, based on Latin orbita ("track, rut, course") + -al. The anatomical sense refers to the eye's orbit, while physics and astronomy use it for paths or states around a center.

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