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