Orbis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A circular object or form that represents the entirety of the world or a sphere in a physical or metaphorical sense
2. A circular or spherical domain reflecting the complete realm of existence
3. A concept symbolizing wholeness or a global perspective, often illustrated as a globe or orb

Etymology: Latin "orbis" meant "circle," "ring," or "disc," and in ancient Rome it was often used for the round shape of the earth itself, as in the phrase "orbis terrarum," "the circle of lands," meaning the inhabited world. The word is closely related to "orbs" and "orbit," and it shares its root with the Greek "kyklos," "circle." English has borrowed it directly from Latin, where it had been a standard term for the round world long before any modern globe existed. The modern sense of wholeness or a global view grew out of that old image. When people spoke of the "orbis terrarum," they were pointing to the entire known world as a single circle, so a term for a round shape came to stand for totality. The symbolic use of "orbis" in English is therefore a return to the original idea: a circle that contains everything.

Synonyms: circle, sphere, orb, globe