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

Scouting for the future Deep craters carved from the lunar crust by much larger, ancient impactors were also on the target list for the Artemis II astronauts. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026

The aim of the series of detailed follow-up studies of Dimorphos is to help transform DART's one-off kinetic impactor experiment into a repeatable, scalable asteroid-deflection method. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2026

If an asteroid that poses risks to our world is found with enough time to deflect it, a kinetic impactor like DART could be sent to nudge the space rock, or its companion, into a more benign orbit that misses Earth. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026

In doing so, the Earth could either absorb those impacts or gravitationally deflect those potential impactors away from the Moon. —Big Think, 26 Nov. 2025

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