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

But Charnoz argues this may merely reflect how the cooling process sets the basic mineralogy of these primitive meteorites, followed by later processes, such as heating, evaporation or water circulation, giving the final touches to their mineralogy. —Javier Barbuzano, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026

Another new edition is a version of La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour, 1999), which represents Pope John Paul II lying on the ground, having been struck by a meteorite. —Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026

During the flyby, the crew reportedly collected over 7,000 photos, saw an Earthrise, and were even able to observe meteorite impacts on the moon. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026

This is likely a major source of past Phaethon activity and the main reason the meteorites on Earth are so diverse. —Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 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