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

Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits of broken asteroids. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 5 May 2025

Astronomer Gianluca Masi also observed the comet twice using a telescope in Manciano, Italy. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025

Like every Twain biographer, Chernow mentions Twain’s anecdote about being born when Halley’s comet brightened the sky. —Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2025

Most meteor showers are the result of Earth passing through debris left by comets, explains NASA. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 May 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