iii which the sun was supposed U> lie placed was railed 
tlir ni-liM iiuixiinuK, or chief orh. 
My Kood stars, thai wnv my former guides, 
Have empty left their orbs. 
*/.-.. A. andC., 111. 1:1. 140. 
Every |M|\ iii'ivinK in h-r sphere 
i'uiitaiiis tin tlimis:unl times ,ts niiifh iu him 
As Hliy othrr IKT i-hnire nrh excludes. 
/;. Jiiiutim, I'ortastiT, iv. C. 
The utmost orb 
Of this fniil world. Milton, I'. I.., li. 1029. 
Not closer, orb in orb, eonglobcd are seen 
The liiix/in- Iwes about their ilusky i|iloen. 
Pope, Dnnchtd, Iv. 7'J. 
The hollow orh of inovinir Cif<-ninsl r 
Roll'd round hy one llx'd law. 
Tennyson, Palace of Art. 
6. The globe forming part of royal regalia; tho 
mondc iir iiKiunil. As n syrnliol of sovereignty It Is 
of ancient Itonmn origin, appearing in a I'ompeilan wall- 
painting rqmMnttng .1 upiti-r unthroned, and also In sculp- 
ture. 
7. Iii nnli-nl.. the space within which the astro- 
logical influence of a planet or of a house is 
supposed to act. The orbs of the cusps of the houses 
are 5 degrees ; those of the different planets vary from 7 
degrees to 15 degrees. 
8. In arch. , a plain circular boss. See fcossl, 5. 
= Syn. 2. Sphere, etc. See globe. 
orb 1 (6rb), v. [< or&l, .] I. trans. 1. To in- 
close as in an orb ; encircle ; surround ; shut up. 
Yea, Truth and Justice then 
Will down return to men, 
Orb'd in a rainbow. 
Milton, Nativity, 1. 143. 
The wheels were orbed with gold. Addition. 
2. To move as in a circle ; roll as an orb : used 
reflexively. [Rare.] 
Our happiness may orb itself Into a thousand vagrancies 
of glory and delight. Milton, Church-Government, i. 1. 
3. To form into a circle or sphere ; make an orb. 
H. in trans. To become an orb or like an orb ; 
assume the shape, appearance, or qualities of 
a circle or sphere ; nil out the space of a circle 
or sphere; round itself out. [Bare.] 
As far as might be, to carve out 
Free space for every human doubt, 
That the whole mind might orb about. 
Tennyson, Two Voices. 
orb' 2 t (orb), a. and n. [< OP. orbe, bereft, blind, 
dark, < L. orbus, bereft, bereaved, deprived: 
see orphan.] I. a. Bereaved, especially of chil- 
dren. Bj>. Andrews, Sermons, L 59. 
II. . A blank window or panel. Oxford 
Glossary. 
orbatet (6r'bat), a. [< L. orbatus, pp. of or- 
biirrfi It. orbare), bereave, < orbus, bereft: see 
orb 2 .) Bereaved; fatherless; childless. Maun- 
der. 
orbationt (6r-ba'shon), w. [< L. orbatio(n-), a 
deprivation, < orbare, bereave, deprive : see 
orbate.~] Privation of parents or children, or 
privation in general ; bereavement. 
How did the distressed mothers wring their hands for 
this wofull orbation. 
Bp. Hall, Elijah Cursing the Children. 
orbed (orbd), p. a. 1. Haying the form of an 
orb; round; circular; orbicular. 
Sometimes her levell'd eyes their carriage ride, 
As they did battery to the spheres Intend ; 
Sometime, diverted, their poor balls are tied 
To the orbed earth. StiaJe., Lover's Complaint, 1. 26. 
That orbed maiden, with white fire laden, 
Whom mortals call the Moou. Shelley, Cloud. 
2. Filling the circumference of a circle; round- 
ed; hence, rounded out; perfect; complete. 
An orbed and balanced life would revolve between the 
Old [World] and the New as opposite, but not antagonis- 
tic poles. Lowell, Fireside Travels, p. g. 
orb-fish (orb'fish), H. A fish, Cliirtodon or 
/'lilii/iiiiiix niiiix, of a compressed suborbicular 
form, occurring in East Indian seas. See Kpliiji- 
pfat, 
orbict (or'bik), . [< I... nrbicu*. circular, < or- 
lii.t. a circle: see ocftl.J Spherical; rounded; 
also, circular. 
How the body of this nrbick frame 
From tender infancy so big became. 
Bacon, Pan or Nature. 
orbicalt (or'bi-kal), it. [< orlrir + -nl.'] Same 
as ni-liii: Stanilnii-xt, TKneid. iii. 658. 
orbiclet (or'bi-kl), n. [= F. nrhifiilf (in hot.) 
= It. nrbiettto, < lj. orbiculiix, a small disk, dim. 
of orbit, a circle, disk: see or* 1 .] A small 
orb. 
Such wat'ry nrbiclet young boys do blow 
Out from their soapy shells. 
a. Fletcher, Christ's Triumph on Earth. 
Orbicula (or-bik'u-la), . [ML., < L. orbiridux, 
a small disk: sec <iHiic/f.] A genus of brachio- 
pods having an orbicular shell, representing 
the f;miily llrliii-iiliilir. 
orbicular (or-bik'u-lilr), . and . [< ME. /- 
Ini'H/nr = I 1 ', niiiii-iiliiii'i = Sp. I'g. orbicular = 
It. tn-liii-iiliiri . nrlii, uliii'f, < \A.. iii-liifiiliifix, cir- 
cular (applied to a plant ), < \i. orbiriilux, a small 
disk: sec orbiclr.] I. ". 1. Having tho shape 
of an orb or orbit; spherical; circular; dis- 
coidal; round. 
Next it heth in-i nr up vynes best of preef, 
I nluiiindc, orbicular, and turnedc nmiidr. 
I'alltuKut, Husbundrle (K. E. T. s. >, p. 69. 
Various forms 
That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars. 
Mill;,:, P. L., 111. 718. 
Orbicular as the disk of a planet. /' ',"""','' 
2. Bounded; complete; perfect. 
Complete and orbicular in its delineation of human 
frailty. De Quincey, Greek Tragedy. 
3. In entom., having a regularly rounded sur- 
face and bordered by a circular margin : as, the 
orbicular pronotum of a beetle. 
4. In li'i'.. having the shape of a 
flat body with a nearly circular 
outline: as, an orWe/rleaf. Also 
nrliii-Hlnte Orbicular bone. See os 
orbiculare, under 0*1. Orbicular liga- 
ment, sec ligament. Orbicular mus- 
cle. See sphincter.- Orbicular process. 
.See incus (a). 
II. n. Iii entom., a circular mark 
, .1 _ , (Ha 
or spot nearly always found on Hca 
the anterior wings of the nnctnid ori ' ic<llar lj ^ s - 
moths. It is situated a little inside the center, between 
the posterior line and the median shade. Also called or- 
bicular spot and ilixcal tpot. 
orbicularis (or bik-u-la'ris), n. ; pi. orbicularcs 
(-rez). [Nl>.: see orbicular.] In anat., a mus- 
cle surrounding an orifice, as that of the mouth 
or eyelids; a sphincter Orbicularis anl, the 
sphincter of the anus. Orbicularis oris, an elliptical 
muscle surrounding the mouth, and forming the fleshy 
basis of the lips. Also called oral sphincter, constrictor 
labiorujn, basiator, oscularis, and Hsgintj-muscle. See cut 
under muscle. -Orblcularis palpebrarum, a broad thin 
muscle surrounding the eye, immediately beneath the 
skin : one of the onef-muscles of Darwin. See cut under 
muscle. Orbicularis pannlcull, the orbicular muscle 
of the panniculus caniosus of some animals, as the hedge- 
hog, being fibers of the panniculus circularly disposed to 
form a kind of sphincter for the whole body, so that the 
animal can roll itself up like a ball. 
orbicularly ( 6r-bik' u-lar-li ), adv. Spherically ; 
circularly. 
orbicularness (or-bik'u-lar-nes), . The state 
of being orbicular; sphericity. 
orbiculate (6r-bik'u-lat), a. [= It. orbiculiito, 
orbicolato, < L. orbiculatus, circular, < urbiciiliig, 
a small disk: see orWcfc.] 1. Made or being 
in the form of an orb, orbit, or orbicle ; orbicu- 
lar. 2. In bot., same as orbicular. 
orbiculated (6r-bik'u-la-ted), a. [< orbiculate 
+ -frf 2 .] Same as orbiculate. 
orbiculately (6r-bik'u-lat-li), adv. In an orbic- 
ulate manner; in orbiculate shape. 
orbiculation (6r-bik-u-la'shon), n. |X orbifii- 
late + -ion.] The state of being orbiculate. 
Orbiculidae (6r-bi-ku'li-de), H. jil. [NL., < Or- 
bicula + -wfce.] A family of brachiopods, typi- 
fied by the genus OrWowo. Jf'f'oy, 1844. 
orbit (6r'bit^, n. [< P. orbite = Sp. orbita (anat. ) 
= Pg. It. orbita, < L. orbita, the track of a wheel, a 
rut, hence any track, course, or path, an impres- 
sion or mark, a circuit or orbit, as of the moon. 
< orbis, a circle, ring, wheel, etc.: see orfti.] 
1. Track; course; path, especially a path, as 
that in a circle or an ellipse, which returns into 
itself ; specifically, in outran., the path of a plan- 
et or comet; the curve-line which a planet de- 
scribes in its periodical revolution round its 
central bodyoreenterofrevolution: as, theorbit 
of Jupiter or Mercury. The orbits of the planets are 
elliptical, having the sun hi one of the foci ; and they all 
move in these ellipses by this law that a straight line 
drawn from the center of the sun to the center of any one 
of them, termed the radiit* vector, always describes equal 
areas in equal times. Also, the squares of the times of 
the planetary revolutions are as the cubes of their mean 
distances from the sun. These are called Kepler's laics 
(see Jawi X The attractions of the planets for one another 
slightly derange these laws, and cause the orbits to under- 
go various changes. The satellites, too, move in elliptical 
orbits, having their respective primaries in one of the foci. 
Tin 1 parabolic and hyperbolic paths of comets are also 
called orbitg. The elements of an orbit are those quanti- 
ties by which its position and magnitude for the time are 
determined, such as the major ails and eccentricity, the 
longitude of the node and the inclination of the plane to 
the ecliptic, and the longitude of the perihelion. In the 
ancient astronomy the orbit of a planet is its eccentric or 
the deferent of its epicycle. 
2. A small orb, globe, or ball. 
Attend, atid you disceni it (ambition! In the fair; 
Conduct a nnger, or reclaim a hair, 
Or roll the lucid urbit of an eye. Youny, Satires, v. 
orbitelar 
We saw 
Hi. i;.l within him light his face. 
And MMI to lift tin: form, mid K!OW 
In a/iuv i/rlritH IM-JIVI n]> - i-r. 
Tennyxm, In Memoriam.lxxxvll. 
3. In mini, and .iinl., the bony cavity of the 
skull which contains 
the eye; the eye-sock- 
et. In man the orbits 
are a pair of quadrilateral 
pyramidal cavities com- 
pletely surrounded by 
In, in-, and separated from 
though communicating 
with the cranial cavity 
and the nasal and tempo- 
ral fossic, and opening for- 
ward upon the face, with 
the apex at the optic fora- 
men where the optic nerve 
enters. Seven bones enter 
into the formation of each 
orbit, the frontal, sphe- 
noid, ethmoid, maxillary, 
palatal, lacrymal, and ma- 
lar, of which the flrst- 
named three are common 
to both orbits. Each or- 
bit communicates with 
surrounding cavities by 
several openings, the prin- 
cipal of which are with 
the cranial cavity by the 
optic foramen and sphe- 
noidal fissure ; with the 
nasal fossa; by the lacry- 
mal canal ; with the tem- 
poral and zygomatic fosste 
by the sphenomaxillary 
fissure ; with ethmoldal 
parts by the anterior and 
poaterior ethmoUlal to- ^e^uoldT^maL, : ~ a , ma 
ramina; and with the face toid process; wr. mesethmoid. <L 
by SUpra-orbituI, Infra or- viding the nasal fossa; mx. max 
' * Ulary; it, nasal bones; o, orhito- 
sphenoid; /, parietal; i. squaincsa!; 
t, optic foramen ; a, sphenoidal fis- 
sure ; 3, infra-orbital foramen. 
Olbil of Man . A 
t ion in and iciations to the skull : K. 
Urge' v 'e w rt tx>nes entering into 
its coinposition. a, .iiisptienoid ;/. 
frontal ; /, lacrymal ; if, os planuin 
of ethmoid; HI, malar: ttta, mas- 
and 
bital, extra-orbital, 
inalnrfnramfita TVift 
malar foramina. Ine 
contains the eye and its 
associate muscular, vascu- 
lar, glandular, sustentacular, mucous, and nervous struc- 
tures. 
4. In ornit/i., the orbita, or circumorbital re- 
gion of a bird's head ; the skin of the eyelids 
and adjoining parts. 6. In entom., the border 
surrounding the compound eye of an insect, 
especially when it forms a raised ring, or dif- 
fers in coloror texture from the rest of the head. 
In Diptera the different parts of this border are distin- 
guished as the anterior or facial orbit, the Inferior or Renal, 
the posterior or occipital, the superior or vertical, and the 
frontal, according to the regions of the head of which they 
form a part When not otherwise stated, orbit generally 
means the inner margin of the eye, or that formed by the 
epicranium. Equation Of the orbit. See eauation 
Inclination of an orbit. See inclination. Orbits .of 
the ocelli, those portions of the surface of the head im- 
mediately surrounding the ocelli or simple eyes. 
orbita (6r'bi-tft), n. ; pi. orbita' (-te). [L., or- 
bit: seeorbit."] 1. In ornitft., the circumorbital 
region on the surface of the head, immediately 
about the eye. 2. In unal. and zodl., the or- 
bit or bony socket of the eye. 
orbital (or'bi-tal), a. [= F. orbital = Bp. orbi- 
tal = It. orbitatc ; as orbit + -/.] In zool. and 
anat., of or pertaining to the orbit of the eye; 
orbitar or orbitary; circumocular Orbital an- 
gle, the angle between the orbital axes. Also called bi- 
ortntal a ngte. Orbital arch, the upper margin of the 
orbit. Orbital artery, a branch of the superficial (some- 
times from the middle) temporal artery distributed about 
the out rr canthus of the eye. Orbital bone, any bone 
which enters into the formation of the orbit. Orbital 
canals (distinguished as anterior and posterior internal\ 
canals formed between tho ethmoid and the frontal bone, 
the anterior transmitting the nasal nerve and the anterior 
ethmoldal vessels, the posterior the posterior ethmoidal 
vessels. Orbital convolutions. Same as orbital tryri 
(which see, under gyrut). Orbital fossa, in crustaceans. 
the groove or fossa in which the eye-stalks of a stalk-eyed 
crustacean can be folded or shut down like a knife-blade in 
its handle. Orbital gyrl. See gurus. Orbital index. 
See craniometry, Orbital lobe, the anterior lateral divi- 
sion of thecarapaceof a brachynrous crustacean. Orbital 
nerve, any nerve which enters or Is situated in the orbit ; 
specifically, a branch of the supramaxillary or second di- 
vision of the fifth cranial nerve, given off in the spheuo- 
maxlllary fossa, entering the orbit by the sphenomaxil- 
lary fissure, and dividing In the orbit into temporal or ma- 
lar branches. Also called tfniporomalar nerve. Orbital 
plate, (n) The os planum or smooth plate of the ethmoid 
bone, which In man, hut not usually in other animals, forms 
a part of the inner wall of the orbit, (b) The thin hori- 
zontal plate of the frontal bone on both sides forming the 
roof of the orbit. Orbital process, a process of the pal- 
ate-bone which In man enters to a slight extent into the 
formation of the orbit. Orbital sulcus. See tulcut. 
Orbital vein, a vein receiving some external palpebral 
veins, communicating with the supra-orbital and facial 
veins, and emptying into the middle temporal vein. 
orbitary (6r'bi-ta-ri), a. [= F. orbitaire = Sp. 
Pg. orbitario; as orbit + -ary."\ Same as orbital; 
specifically, in ornith., circumorbital: as, orbi- 
t<in/ feathers. 
orbitelar (6r-bi-te'lftr), a. [< orbitelf + -or2.] 
Spinning an orbicular web, as a spider; orbite- 
larian; orbitelous. 
