meteor

noun

me·​te·​or ˈmē-tē-ər 

-ˌȯr

1

: an atmospheric phenomenon (such as lightning or a snowfall)

2

a

: any of the small particles of matter in the solar system that are directly observable only by their incandescence from frictional heating on entry into the atmosphere

b

: the streak of light produced by the passage of a meteor

Examples of meteor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One meteor that plunged into the sleepy British town of Winchcombe in 2021 — leaving a sizable dent in a family’s driveway — was found to have a D/H ratio that almost perfectly matched that of Earth’s oceans. —Quanta Magazine, 12 June 2026

The number of meteors in a shower can vary depending on the parent comet’s structure, orbit and location in space relative to Earth (in general, showers are stronger when the comet has recently passed Earth, leaving more fresh debris behind). —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 12 June 2026

Audiences will witness how life finds a way to survive on a planet where meteors fall, super volcanoes erupt, seas boil and the land moves. —Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026

In the aftermath of that meteor strike, slabs of lunar rock slammed into one another to create a mosaic of materials. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English metheour, from Middle French meteore, from Medieval Latin meteorum, from Greek meteōron, from neuter of meteōros high in air, from meta- + -eōros, from aeirein to lift

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing meteor

• meteor shower

Kids Definition

meteor

noun

me·​te·​or ˈmēt-ē-ər 

-ē-ˌȯ(ə)r

: one of the small bodies of matter in the solar system observable when it falls into the earth's atmosphere where the heat of friction may cause it to glow brightly for a short time

also : the streak of light produced by the passage of a meteor