orbital

C1 · Advanced British English

adj. describing a road or railway that goes around the outside of a city.

adj. describing a transport route, such as a motorway or railway line, that circles the periphery of an urban area.

“Traffic was heavy on the orbital motorway during the morning rush hour.”

“The construction of the new orbital road was intended to divert heavy freight traffic away from the historic city centre.”

C1 · Advanced Medicine Technical

adj. relating to the bony hole in the skull where the eye sits.

adj. relating to the orbit or eye socket of the skull.

“The boxer suffered an orbital fracture during the final round of the fight.”

“The surgeon carefully examined the orbital floor to ensure no nerve damage had occurred during the impact.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical

n. a mathematical description of where an electron is likely to be in an atom.

n. a mathematical function describing the location and wave-like behaviour of an electron in an atom.

“In chemistry class, we learned how electrons fill different orbitals.”

“The overlapping of atomic orbitals is a fundamental concept in understanding the formation of covalent bonds between atoms.”