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

The Lyrids come from the trail of comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered by amateur astronomer A.E. Thatcher in 1861. —Huo Jingnan, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024

The comet is named after A. E. Thatcher, an amateur astronomer who first observed it on April 5, 1861. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024

Beaver Island in Lake Michigan is known for its inky skies and starry nights, its vast views of the constellations, galaxies and the Milky Way, glimpses of the Northern Lights and an occasional comet. —Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024

In the comet’s tail behind the show there have been innumerable conversations afterwards in the lobby, bar, or the middle of the sidewalk outside the venue. —Alex Edelman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024

The British polymath Edmond Halley, best remembered as the namesake of Halley’s comet, had foretold it. —Joshua Sokol, Quanta Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024

The devils comet will appear in the constellation of Taurus on April 21. —The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024

These planets are surrounded by moons, and this chaotic reshuffling would have caused countless comets and irregular moonlets to smash into Titan and other early planetary bodies. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024

The comet has experienced multiple flare-ups in the past year. —Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024

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

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