shooting star

noun

1
: a visual meteor appearing as a temporary streak of light in the night sky
2
: any of several North American perennial herbs (genus Primula, especially P. meadia) of the primrose family that have entire oblong leaves and showy flowers with reflexed petals
3
: one resembling a shooting star especially in sudden and temporary brilliance

Examples of shooting star in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Your best chance to spot shooting stars will be during the predawn hours of May 6, when the shower's radiant — which points into the stream of the oncoming cometary debris — reaches its highest altitude for viewers in the northern hemisphere. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 May 2026 In the early morning hours of May 5-6, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower is expected to peak, giving stargazers the chance to see a number of shooting stars. Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 3 May 2026 An eagle-eyed astronomer has discovered that an elusive asteroid is apparently shedding hundreds of fragments — and our planet is flying through the ensuing debris field, making for a spectacular show of shooting stars when these small bits of cosmic metal and rock hit Earth’s atmosphere. Sharon Adarlo, Futurism, 15 Apr. 2026 Botanical Name: Mimulus x hybridus Sun Exposure: Partial shade Soil Type: Clay, loam, sand Soil pH: Neutral White tobacco has large, dramatic leaves and showy, fragrant clusters of pendent white flowers that look like a burst of shooting stars. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shooting star

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shooting star was in 1593

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Cite this Entry

“Shooting star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shooting%20star. Accessed 7 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

shooting star

noun
: a meteor appearing as a temporary streak of light in the night sky

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