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

Benjamin Fernando, a Johns Hopkins seismologist, recently said that seismic signals from a meteor crash Loeb was investigating were more likely due to a car backfiring. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024

In the past, some space rocks have escaped detection: In 2013, the unpredicted explosion of an approximately 65-foot meteor above Chelyabinsk, Russia, injured more than 1,000 people. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 May 2024

Having the least light pollution of the lower 48 states' national parks, showers of dazzling meteors, wispy edges of the Milky Way, and crisp constellations show themselves to a sparse population of stargazers in the Chihuahuan Desert. —Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2023

The meager, 55-foot meteor that exploded above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in 2013, for example, wasn’t identified before its arrival, either — and its airborne blast, equivalent to nearly 500,000 tons of TNT, caused widespread damage, which injured at least 1,200 people. —Robin George Andrews, New York Times, 20 May 2024

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