meteoroid

noun

me·​te·​or·​oid ˈmē-tē-ə-ˌrȯid 

1

: a meteor particle itself without relation to the phenomena it produces when entering the earth's atmosphere

2

: a meteor in orbit around the sun

meteoroidal

ˌmē-tē-ə-ˈrȯi-dᵊl 

adjective

Examples of meteoroid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seismometers offer silver bullets, allowing scientists to use moonquakes (whether homegrown or imported via lunar impacts of errant meteoroids) to effectively perform a CT scan of the deep subsurface. —Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2026

On Monday, the astronauts described the moon's topography and meteoroids hitting the far side of the moon, allowing some people to hear a human observing the moon from space for the first time ever. —Ava Berger, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026

What are the differences between a fireball, meteoroid, meteor and meteorite? —Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026

For example, the Artemis 2 astronauts are scoping out color variations on the lunar surface and looking for flashes on the moon caused by meteoroid strikes. —Leonard David, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for meteoroid

• albuminoid
• arytenoid
• cannabinoid
• carotenoid
• epidermoid
• epithelioid
• paraboloid
• subarachnoid
• underemployed
• adenoid
• alkaloid
• amoeboid

Kids Definition

meteoroid

noun

me·​te·​or·​oid ˈmēt-ē-ə-ˌrȯid 

: a meteor revolving around the sun