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

At such proximity, intense stellar heat vaporizes material from the planet's surface, which then streams into space, forming a blazing, comet-like tail. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025

Perhaps most mind-blowing have been observations gathered by missions stationed at Mars, which the comet flew past in early October. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2025

That all changed in January 1986, when Sagan corrected Carson twice as the two were discussing Halley's comet. —Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025

During this time, sky-gazers in some parts of the world could spot up to 10 shooting stars streak across the sky per hour as Earth passes through the debris trail of a comet. —Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 21 Dec. 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