meteor

noun

me·​te·​or ˈmē-tē-ər 

-ˌȯr

1

: an atmospheric phenomenon (such as lightning or a snowfall)

2

a

: any of the small particles of matter in the solar system that are directly observable only by their incandescence from frictional heating on entry into the atmosphere

b

: the streak of light produced by the passage of a meteor

Examples of meteor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One stretch of the vast Western Australia wilderness is imprinted with a curious crater, which likely formed after a meteor impact hundreds of millions of years ago. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026

That means the best time to spot the quickly flashing meteors will be during the overnight hours between Wednesday and Thursday, according to EarthSky. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026

The meteor rocks also infected Smallville and its population, which gave the show its engine for the case-of-the week format of its early seasons — and brought in a lot of guest stars, one of whom was Amy Adams in Season 1. — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English metheour, from Middle French meteore, from Medieval Latin meteorum, from Greek meteōron, from neuter of meteōros high in air, from meta- + -eōros, from aeirein to lift

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing meteor

• meteor shower

Kids Definition

meteor

noun

me·​te·​or ˈmēt-ē-ər 

-ē-ˌȯ(ə)r

: one of the small bodies of matter in the solar system observable when it falls into the earth's atmosphere where the heat of friction may cause it to glow brightly for a short time

also : the streak of light produced by the passage of a meteor