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meteor
1[ mee-tee-er, -awr ]
noun
- Astronomy.
- any person or object that moves, progresses, becomes famous, etc., with spectacular speed.
- (formerly) any atmospheric phenomenon, as hail or a typhoon.
- Meteor, Military. Britain's first operational jet fighter, a twin-engine aircraft that entered service in 1944.
meteor.
2abbreviation for
- meteorological.
- meteorology.
meteor
/ ˈːɪə /
noun
- a very small meteoroid that has entered the earth's atmosphere. Such objects have speeds approaching 70 kilometres per second
- Also calledshooting starfalling star the bright streak of light appearing in the sky due to the incandescence of such a body heated by friction at its surface
meteor
- A bright trail or streak of light that appears in the night sky when a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere. The friction with the air causes the rock to glow with heat.
- Also called shooting star
- A rocky body that produces such light. Most meteors burn up before reaching the Earth's surface.
- See Note at solar system
meteor
- A streak of light in the sky, often called a “shooting star,” that occurs when a bit of extraterrestrial matter falls into the atmosphere of the Earth and burns up.
Notes
Other Word Forms
- t·ǰ· adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of meteor1
Usage
Example Sentences
As the Earth passes through the densest part of the dust stream more meteors are visible.
Shooting stars will usher in Earth Day starting late Monday night as the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak — and Californians will have some of the best views in the country.
While that was soon to change, it meant that for books especially, 1996 was an eddy of calm before the meteor storm arrived.
We've seen meteor showers, Northern Lights, two full Moons and more recently the incredible planetary parade.
Spring is shaping up to be a great time for skygazers with the opportunity to see aurora, meteor showers and both a lunar and solar eclipse this year.
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Related Words
More About Meteor
is ameteor?
meteor is space matter that has entered Earth’s atmosphere, as in I was able to see a meteor enter our atmosphere last night through my telescope.
A meteor is also the bright, fiery streak that is visible in the sky when a meteor burns up. Meteors are often referred to as shooting stars or falling stars.
Simply put, a meteor is a meteoroid that has entered Earth’s atmosphere. A meteoroid is a small body of matter usually composed of dust or rock that travels through outer space. A meteor that reaches Earth’s surface is called a meteorite.
Meteor is sometimes used figuratively to mean something that moves or advances at high speed, as in The new rock band was a meteor that shot up the charts.
The adjective meteoric describes something involved with or related to a meteor. Meteoric is also used to describe something that resembles a meteor in terms of brightness or speed, as in We were amazed by her meteoric rise to stardom in Hollywood.
A large number of meteors traveling through Earth’s surface at one time is called a meteor shower.
Example: She took great pictures of last night’s meteor as it zoomed across the sky.
Where doesٱǰcome from?
The first records of meteor come from around 1570. It ultimately comes from the Greek éōDz, meaning “a thing in the air.” At one time, meteor was used to refer to any phenomenon in the air, such as a typhoon or a hailstorm. This is why scientists that study weather are called meteorologists.
As meteors travel through Earth’s atmosphere, they usually burn up because of the friction caused by their speed mixing with the atmosphere. This burning causes a bright streak to appear in the sky, which is why we sometimes call them shooting (or falling) stars, even though they’re not stars at all.
Meteors and meteoroids are much smaller than comets or asteroids, which also travel through space.
Did you know ... ?
are some other forms related to meteor?
- meteorlike (adjective)
are some synonyms for meteor?
are some words that share a root or word element with meteor?
are some words that often get used in discussing meteor?
are some words meteor may be commonly confused with?
How isٱǰused in real life?
Meteors move through Earth’s atmosphere on a regular basis, and stargazers always enjoy watching them.
LIVE: Spot the Perseid meteors in the night sky! ☄️
Starting now, enjoy an overnight live stream from our Meteor Watch camera at :
— NASA (@NASA)
It is hard to photograph a meteor. Even though some 25 million of them hurtle toward Earth each day, most of them are too small to track. But Prasenjeet Yadav managed to get one anyway, entirely by accident over Mettupalayam. Beautiful. Isn't it.
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan)
Quite a few people saying they saw a meteor over the North of England this evening – anyone else? Sounds like a bright one.
— Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox)
Try usingmeteor!
True or False?
A meteor is a chunk of rock that travels through space.
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