meteorite

noun

me·​te·​or·​ite ˈmē-tē-ə-ˌrīt 

: a meteor that reaches the surface of the earth without being completely vaporized

meteoritic

ˌmē-tē-ə-ˈri-tik 

adjective

or less commonly meteoritical

ˌmē-tē-ə-ˈri-ti-kəl 

Examples of meteorite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like water particles condense around the dust on Earth, droplets of sulfuric acid condense on the surface of the meteorite particles left hovering over Venus. — Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026

This rare, jet-black tektite is believed to have formed when a meteorite struck the tin-rich land over 700,000 years ago. — Claire Turrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

The oxygen isotopes within the meteorites’ organic matter fall precisely along or near the Carbonaceous Chondrite Anhydrous Mineral (CCAM) line. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026

The moonphase, at 6 o’clock, appears in a fully visible enamel disk rather than the half-aperture of the 8171, with both the full and new moons rendered in meteorite—the latter with a dark PVD coating. — Carol Besler, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meteorite

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite

Kids Definition

meteorite

noun

me·​te·​or·​ite ˈmēt-ē-ə-ˌrīt 

: a meteor that reaches the surface of the earth