meteor

noun

me·te·or | \ ˈmē-tē-ər

, -ˌȯr\

Definition of meteor

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

2a : 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

The highest numbers of these bright colorful meteors will be seen from dark locations away from city lights. — Arnold Pearlstein, sun-sentinel.com, "The Stars This Week: Aug. 11-17," 11 Aug. 2019 If possible, start watching for meteors early Monday morning in the hours before twilight. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, "Sky Watch: Don’t wait for its peak to look for the Perseid meteor shower," 11 Aug. 2019 The number of meteors can range from between 50 and 75 per hour. — Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Perseid meteor shower will put on a big celestial show," 10 Aug. 2019 Camp out with moths and meteors: Pack your tent and blankets and head out to Observatory Park 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12 to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13. — Joan Rusek, cleveland.com, "Need an attitude adjustment – catch ‘A New Brain’ at River Street Playhouse: Valley Views," 5 Aug. 2019 The brightness of meteors depends on their size and speed. — NBC News, "Meteor showers: What they are and how to watch them," 2 Aug. 2019 Oh, and these meteors are flying by incredibly fast—I'm talking 25 miles per second, according to the ASM. — Tainaya Nash, House Beautiful, "Another Meteor Shower is Lighting Up The Sky Tonight," 30 July 2019 Meteorites are pieces of meteors that survive a trip through the Earth’s atmosphere and hit the ground, according to NASA. — Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, "Rice farmers shocked after possible meteorite crash lands in Indian village," 26 July 2019 These quakes can also come from the impact of meteors and possibly the movement of magma deep underground. — National Geographic, "First 'marsquake' detected by NASA lander," 23 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meteor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

27 Aug 2019

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The first known use of meteor was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for meteor

meteor

noun

English Language Learners Definition of meteor

: a piece of rock or metal that burns and glows brightly in the sky as it falls from outer space into the Earth's atmosphere

See the full definition for meteor in the English Language Learners Dictionary

meteor

noun

me·te·or | \ ˈmē-tē-ər

Kids Definition of meteor

: one of the small pieces of matter in the solar system that enter the earth's atmosphere where friction may cause them to glow and form a streak of light