orbital
Meaning: Relating to an orbit, whether of a celestial body, a satellite, or an electron. In British transport planning, an orbital road is a ring road encircling a city.
Orbital spans astronomy, chemistry, and British infrastructure. In physics, it describes the path of a body around a gravitational centre. In chemistry, an orbital is a mathematical function describing the probable location of an electron around a nucleus. In British English specifically, 'the orbital' commonly refers to the M25 motorway encircling London, and orbital roads feature prominently in transport policy discussions. The term also appears in anatomy (the orbital bone around the eye socket).
Examples
- The satellite was manoeuvred into a higher orbital path to avoid a potential collision with space debris. 该卫星被调整到更高的轨道路径,以避免与太空碎片发生潜在碰撞。El satélite fue desplazado a una trayectoria orbital más alta para evitar una posible colisión con desechos espaciales.その衛星は宇宙デブリとの衝突の可能性を避けるため、より高い軌道経路に移動させられた。그 위성은 우주 쓰레기와의 충돌 가능성을 피하기 위해 더 높은 궤도 경로로 이동되었다.
- Students must understand the difference between s, p, and d orbitals to grasp the fundamentals of chemical bonding. 学生必须理解 s、p 和 d 轨道之间的区别,才能掌握化学键合的基本原理。Los estudiantes deben comprender la diferencia entre los orbitales s, p y d para dominar los fundamentos del enlace químico.化学結合の基礎を理解するには、s軌道、p軌道、d軌道の違いを把握する必要がある。화학 결합의 기초를 이해하려면 s, p, d 오비탈의 차이를 파악해야 한다.
- Congestion on the M25 orbital has worsened despite successive governments' promises to improve capacity. 尽管历届政府都承诺改善通行能力,M25环形高速公路的拥堵状况仍在恶化。La congestión en la orbital M25 ha empeorado pese a las sucesivas promesas gubernamentales de ampliar su capacidad.歴代政府が容量改善を約束してきたにもかかわらず、M25環状高速道路の渋滞は悪化している。역대 정부가 용량 개선을 약속했음에도 불구하고, M25 순환고속도로의 정체는 악화되고 있다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: scientific, academic, journalism
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin orbita (course, track, orbit), from orbis (circle, ring). The astronomical sense entered English in the 17th century; the chemistry sense was coined in the early 20th century by quantum physicists.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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