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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 atmosphereb : the streak of light produced by the passage of a meteor
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Recent Examples of meteor from the Web
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If the ’73 OPEC oil embargo was the first giant meteor to hit the U.S. auto industry, the widespread deployment of the smog pump and the catalytic converter for ’75 was the second.
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The danger asteroids pose became clear in 2013, when more than 1,000 people were reportedly injured after a meteor exploded near the Russian town of Chelyabinsk.
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Nobody seems to know why, and life just kind of goes on even though meteors that turn into minivans that turn into robots with character voices just kind of keep crashing down on us.
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Last Tuesday night, a bright meteor lit up the sky over the D.C.-Baltimore region.
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Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope; Perelman Theater) Buddy returns with a rockin' ride on the meteor of Holly's career.
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The American Meteor Society offers some helpful background information on the phenomenon: A fireball is a meteor that is larger than normal.
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In a press release, NASA notes that the planet’s bumpy surface can be spotted—proof of the craters and lumps the moon picked up as it was pummeled again and again by meteors and other objects.
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That's not to say that the appeal of David Lynch’s original Twin Peaks, which had the same effect on TV in 1990 as that meteor did on the dinosaurs, was limited to its ability to leave an audience feeling bewitched and bewildered.
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
METEOR Defined for English Language Learners
meteor
playDefinition of meteor for English Language Learners
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: 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
playDefinition 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
Learn More about meteor
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Spanish Central: Translation of meteor Nglish: Translation of meteor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of meteor for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about meteor
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