orrery

noun

or·​rery ˈȯr-ər-ē How to pronounce orrery (audio)
ˈär-
plural orreries
: an apparatus showing the relative positions and motions of bodies in the solar system by balls moved by a clockwork

Illustration of orrery

Illustration of orrery

Examples of orrery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The discovery underscored how Earth was not the center of the universe, but a small player in an orrery of smaller orbs spinning around greater ones. science.org, 19 Sep. 2024 The most striking addition to their dark jumble shop are several balls, such as a soccer ball and the bright red sphere of a punching bag, on stands, which turns the whole room into a janky orrery—a model of a planetary system—with a Spalding basketball playing the Earth. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024 By the 1950s, the traditional Copernican orrery was in need of an electronic upgrade. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2023 Few things are as captivating as an orrery. Jay Bennett and Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 19 Jan. 2021 And like a globe, an orrery also serves a practical function. Jay Bennett and Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 19 Jan. 2021 Christina suggests Hiram’s hidden pages are connected to his orrery — or solar system model — which was secreted away in his home. Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, 8 Sep. 2020 Hippolyta finds in the orrery, which send her to the observatory (the numbers are 39.805499 and -95.159492). Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, 28 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Charles Boyle †1731 4th Earl of Orrery

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of orrery was in 1713

Dictionary Entries Near orrery

Cite this Entry

“Orrery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orrery. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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