comet

noun

com·​et ˈkä-mət How to pronounce comet (audio)
: 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 adjective
cometic adjective

Examples of comet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Right now, the comet can only be seen with binoculars or a telescope. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024 Asteroid and comet impacts could be an important source, the atmosphere another and there may even be some complex process of nutrient transport through the ice layer from the rocky core below. Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 The timing means that the comet will appear about 25 degrees away from the sun during totality. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2024 Strasburg was a comet streaking across the San Diego sky well before. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2024 These slow and long-lasting meteors from comet Encke will be visible throughout the world. Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2024 Each meteor shower is associated with a parent comet or asteroid which the debris breaks off of. Devika Rao, theweek, 19 Jan. 2024 After the birds, a comet appears on the far edge of the firmament, destined by its trajectory to destroy our planet. Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023 Most meteor showers originate from comets, but the Geminids come from 3200 Phaethon, an asteroid. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of comet was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near comet

Cite this Entry

“Comet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comet. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

comet

noun
com·​et ˈkäm-ət How to pronounce comet (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on comet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!