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

Within two years, an initial examination determined the meteorite hailed from Mars; scientists are now finally digging deeper, with stunning results. — Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026

Earlier this year, scientists revealed that a meteorite that crashed through the roof of a New Jersey home in 2024 contained some of the chemical building blocks of life and was among the rarest space rocks ever recovered. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026

All this was complemented by Doppler weather radar detections of falling meteorites and independent optical video observations. — Leonard David, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026

At first, the rock was classified as a shergottite, the most common (and young) type of Martian meteorite. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 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