impactor

noun

im·​pac·​tor im-ˈpak-tər 

variants or impacter

1

: a machine (such as a steam or air hammer or a pile driver) or part that operates by striking blows

2

: meteorite

Examples of impactor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This object was significantly more massive than most natural lunar impactors, but was also moving much more slowly, the study said. — Miles Doran, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

That shape revealed the impactor's identity — the upper stage of the Long March 3C rocket that sent China's uncrewed Chang'e 5-T1 mission around the moon in October 2014. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Unlike the European Space Agency’s Hera mission, which was launched separately to examine the aftermath of NASA’s DART test, China plans to include both the impactor and observation spacecraft within the same mission. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026

But, especially when an impactor is big, most of it propagates into the mantle below. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 5 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for impactor

• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• protractor
• reactor
• redactor
• refractor
• retractor