orbit, globe, horizon, planet, space: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Intermediate set 55. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. orbit · noun/ˈɔrbət/

   the path travelled by one object while it is moving around another object of greater mass

   The satellite entered orbit around the Moon after a long journey.

   Synonyms: path, route

   Origin: late Middle English (in orbit (sense 3 of the noun)): partly via French from Latin orbita ‘course, track’ (in medieval Latin ‘eye socket’), feminine of orbitus ‘circular’, from orbis ‘circle, sphere’

2. globe · noun/ɡloʊb/

   an object like a ball with a map of the world on it, usually on a stand, that represents the earth

   The teacher used a globe to show the students where each continent is located.

   Synonyms: Earth, sphere

   Origin: late Middle English (in the sense ‘spherical object’): from Old French, or from Latin globus

3. horizon · noun/həˈraɪz(ə)n/

   the line where the sky and the land or sea appear to meet

   Many photographers want to capture the moment the sun rises above the horizon as it is picturesque.

   Synonyms: skyline

   Origin: late Middle English: via Old French from late Latin horizon, from Greek horizōn (kuklos) ‘limiting (circle)’

4. planet · noun/ˈplænət/

   a large round object in space that moves around a star, such as Earth or Mars

   It is known that planets revolve around stars because of gravity.

   Synonyms: celestial body

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French planete, from late Latin planeta, planetes, from Greek planētēs ‘wanderer, planet’, from planan ‘wander’

5. space · noun/speɪs/

   any location outside the Earth's atmosphere

   Satellites are launched into space to collect information about Earth.

   Synonyms: cosmos, the universe

   Origin: Middle English: shortening of Old French espace, from Latin spatium. Current verb senses date from the late 17th century