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

Burberry therefore argues that what Dante is describing is an impact of an asteroid or a comet, violent enough to restructure large parts of the Earth. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026

The aether, it was assumed, was the medium inherent to space that all objects, from comets to planets to stars, traveled through. —Big Think, 7 May 2026

Or, another Kuiper Belt object such as a comet might have struck 2002 XV93, also releasing gases from the subsurface. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 May 2026

Ice volcanoes or comet collision? —CBS News, 4 May 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