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

Benya and other pyrotechnicians were wiring up hundreds of racks of comets—which resembled opaque, oversized test tubes—affixing them to plywood slabs and placing them on the duvetyn. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Intense heat strips away rock from the planet, creating spectacular comet-like mineral tails stretching millions of kilometers into space. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026

With Jupiter returning to the predawn sky, a comet lingering and the possibility of a nova explosion, August offers almost every major kind of celestial event in a single month. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Southern Hemisphere skywatchers get the best seat, with the comet placed high overhead around midnight, but Northern Hemisphere viewers can still catch it low in the southern sky shortly after dark. — Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 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