comet

noun

com·​et ˈkä-mət 

: 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

cometary

ˈkä-mə-ˌter-ē 

adjective

cometic

kə-ˈme-tik 

kä-

adjective

Examples of comet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meteor showers, or shooting stars, streak across the night sky, often originating from the debris left behind by comets or asteroids. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 3 Dec. 2025

While Landy curled into the face-off circle, two Vancouver defenders trailed him the way a tail follows a comet. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Dec. 2025

This composition could explain the comet’s cryovolcanism. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025

Imaging this ancient comet As the Hawaiian sky crept toward dawn, the spectral work wound down. —Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for comet

• grommet
• vomit
• recommit

Kids Definition

comet

noun

com·​et ˈkäm-ət 

: a bright heavenly body that develops a cloudy tail as it moves closer to the sun in its orbit

Etymology

Old English cometa "comet," from Latin cometa (same meaning), from Greek komētēs, literally, "long-haired," derived from komē "hair" — related to coma entry 2