1. spacecraft designed to orbit a celestial body without landing on it
Usage: astronomy; space technology
2. objects or bodies that revolve around another body in space
Usage: astronomy
3. people who remain on the periphery of a social group without being fully accepted members
Usage: informal; social dynamics

Examples

• NASA launched several orbiters to study Mars from space.
• The lunar orbiters mapped the moon’s surface in great detail.
• Jupiter has many natural orbiters, including its four largest moons.
• The space agency’s orbiters provided crucial data about the planet’s atmosphere.
• Some students were just orbiters around the popular clique.
• The orbiters circled the gas giant for months, collecting scientific data.