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

These meteors are debris from comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle, entering Earth’s atmosphere at around 37 miles per second (59 kilometers per second), according to the American Meteor Society. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

The debris trail that causes the Perseids comes from the comet Swift-Tuttle, which passes through this part of our solar system about every 130 years and was last seen in 1992. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026

The Perseid meteor shower, originating from the constellation Perseus, takes place from mid-July to late August every year as the Earth passes through the debris trail from the comet Swift-Tuttle. — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026

The debris gets spread out along the comet's path, creating a long river of particles that follows the comet's orbit. — Zoe Mintz, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026

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