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

During the eclipse, as the moon was cloaked in darkness, the crew members spotted flashes of light from meteoroids smacking into the lunar surface. —Denise Chow, NBC news, 11 Apr. 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for meteoroid

• adenoid
• alkaloid
• amoeboid
• amyloid
• aneroid
• anthropoid
• arachnoid
• asteroid
• benzenoid
• carcinoid
• celluloid
• coronoid

Kids Definition

meteoroid

noun

me·​te·​or·​oid ˈmēt-ē-ə-ˌrȯid 

: a meteor revolving around the sun