English → Latin
“orbit” in Latin
ambitusa going around, walking around; circuit; orbit, revolution, cycleterradry land (as opposed to watery parts of the Earth); ground, floor (the surface of the land); earth, soil, dirt, clay, cl
The English word orbit itself goes back to Latin orbita.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
orbit
circulus et orbis (e.g., of a planet, stellae errantis; after Cic., Somn., Scip., 3): linea qua (terra) cursum agit circa solem (after Serv., Verg., Aen., 10, 216): ambitus (Plin., ambitu breviore luna currit, quam sol). Sometimes cursus will suit.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for orbit?
- The usual Latin words for “orbit” are ambitus, terra. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.