meteor

noun me·te·or \ ˈmē-tē-ər , -ˌȯr \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Definition of meteor

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

See meteor defined for English-language learners

See meteor defined for kids

Recent Examples of meteor from the Web

The reports allowed the society to estimate the track of the meteor from north of Des Moines running southeast just across the river into Illinois.

— matt milner, chicagotribune.com, "Meteor spotted streaking across much of Midwest Sunday night," 9 July 2018
Amazon's fourth annual Prime Day Sale is about to crash from the virtual sky like a meteor in Fortnite, and as of April, there are 100 million Amazon Prime members set to scoop up all the deals that land.

— wired staff, WIRED, "How to Get Primed for Amazon Prime Day," 3 July 2018
Spectators can normally see around 60 to 100 meteors an hour.

— brian resnick, Vox, "Summer is for meteor showers and stargazing. Here’s how to watch.," 22 June 2018
Skygazers could see as many as 40 meteors an hour, but the bright gibbous moon will probably wash out most of them.

— blaine p. friedlander jr., Washington Post, "The sun shines brightly on a ‘full’ Jupiter in May," 28 Apr. 2018
The asteroid measures more than 326 miles in diameter, 50 times wider than the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, will be visible in the night sky until July 16.

— Fox News, "'Monster' asteroid 4 times than the UK is so close to Earth you can see it - and here's how," 27 June 2018
The meteors will rain like sparks from the hero’s righteous blade.

— brian resnick, Vox, "Summer is for meteor showers and stargazing. Here’s how to watch.," 22 June 2018
It is estimated to be larger than the Chelyabinsk meteor, which exploded in the skies over Russia in 2013, producing a large shock wave and many small meteorites.

— kate keller, Smithsonian, "An Asteroid Will Hurtle Past Earth Tonight in Close Flyby," 15 May 2018
The Lyrid meteors approximately peak on April 21-22, according to the International Meteor Organization (IMO.net).

— blaine p. friedlander jr., Washington Post, "Skywatch: In early April, Mars and Saturn are cosmically inseparable," 31 Mar. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of meteor

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Astronomy Terms

gibbous, nadir, nebulous, penumbra, retrograde, sidereal, syzygy, wane, wax, zenith

METEOR Defined for English Language Learners

meteor

noun

Definition of meteor for English Language Learners

: 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

METEOR Defined for Kids

meteor

noun me·te·or \ ˈmē-tē-ər \

Definition of meteor for Students

: 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