- Main Entry:
- com·et

- Pronunciation:
-
\ˈkä-mət\
- Function:
- noun
- Etymology:
- Middle English comete, from Old English cometa, from Latin, from Greek komētēs, literally, long-haired, from koman to wear long hair, from komē hair
- Date:
- before 12th century
: a celestial body that appears as a fuzzy head usually surrounding a bright nucleus, that has a usually highly eccentric orbit, that consists primarily of ice and dust, and that often develops one or more long tails when near the sun
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com·e·tary
\-mə-ˌter-ē\ adjective
—
co·met·ic
\kə-ˈme-tik, kä-\ adjective