meteorite

noun

me·​te·​or·​ite ˈmē-tē-ə-ˌrīt 

: a meteor that reaches the surface of the earth without being completely vaporized

meteoritic

ˌmē-tē-ə-ˈri-tik 

adjective

or less commonly meteoritical

ˌmē-tē-ə-ˈri-ti-kəl 

Examples of meteorite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If meteoroids survive their trip to Earth without burning up in the atmosphere, they are called meteorites, NASA says. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025

Amino acids have, however, been found in comets and meteorites in our solar system. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 Nov. 2025

According to Science Alert, if the samples reveal traces of material consistent with a meteorite, the museum will likely conduct a search of the site to locate any remaining fragments. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025

Scientists have long wondered why Earth's overall makeup doesn't fully match the mix of materials found in ancient meteorites. —Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meteorite

• actinolite
• adipocyte
• amphibolite
• anorthosite
• anthophyllite
• aragonite
• carbonatite
• cassiterite
• cristobalite
• crocidolite
• diatomite
• dithionite

Kids Definition

meteorite

noun

me·​te·​or·​ite ˈmēt-ē-ə-ˌrīt 

: a meteor that reaches the surface of the earth