Kuiper Belt

noun

Kui·​per Belt ˈkī-pər- 

: a band of small celestial bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune from which many short-period comets are believed to originate compare oort cloud

Examples of Kuiper Belt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Kuiper Belt is located at the outskirts of our solar system, extending far beyond the orbit of Neptune – now the farthest planet from the sun – where other objects might cross Pluto's orbital path. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026

Unlike most comets, which originate in the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud, this icy wanderer formed around another star before drifting into our cosmic neighborhood. —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026

Think of the Kuiper Belt as an outer reach of this protoplanetary disk that was frozen in time at that moment. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 19 Feb. 2026

As astronomers gear up for this major step change in our understanding of the Kuiper Belt, answers to some of our most fundamental questions hang in the balance. —Becky Ferreira, Wired News, 11 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Gerald A. Kuiper †1973 U.S. (Dutch-born) astronomer

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Kuiper Belt

• celt
• dealt
• dwelt
• felt
• knelt
• melt
• pelt
• smelt
• spelt
• veldt
• welt
• heartfelt