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View synonyms for

meteor

1

[ mee-tee-er, -awr ]

noun

  1. Astronomy.
    1. a meteoroid that has entered the earth's atmosphere.
    2. a transient fiery streak in the sky produced by a meteoroid passing through the earth's atmosphere; a shooting star or bolide.
  2. any person or object that moves, progresses, becomes famous, etc., with spectacular speed.
  3. (formerly) any atmospheric phenomenon, as hail or a typhoon.
  4. Meteor, Military. Britain's first operational jet fighter, a twin-engine aircraft that entered service in 1944.


meteor.

2

abbreviation for

  1. meteorological.
  2. meteorology.

meteor

/ ˈ³¾¾±Ë³Ùɪə /

noun

  1. a very small meteoroid that has entered the earth's atmosphere. Such objects have speeds approaching 70 kilometres per second
  2. 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

meteor

/ ³¾Å§â€²³Ùŧ-É™°ù /

  1. 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.
  2. Also called shooting star
  3. A rocky body that produces such light. Most meteors burn up before reaching the Earth's surface.
  4. See Note at solar system

meteor

  1. 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.
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Notes

Meteor showers occur at regular times during the year.
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Other ˜yĞÄvlog Forms

  • ³¾±ğt±ğ·´Ç°ù·±ô¾±°ì±ğ adjective
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˜yĞÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of meteor1

First recorded in 1570–80; from New Latin ³¾±ğ³Ù±ğÅ°ù³Ü³¾, from Greek ³¾±ğ³ÙéŰù´Ç²Ô “meteor, a thing in the air,†noun use of neuter of ³¾±ğ³ÙéŰù´Ç²õ “raised in the air,†equivalent to met- met- + ±ğÅ°ù- (variant stem of ²¹±ğí°ù±ğ¾±²Ô “to raiseâ€) + -os adjective suffix
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˜yĞÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of meteor1

C15: from Medieval Latin ³¾±ğ³Ù±ğÅ°ù³Ü³¾, from Greek ³¾±ğ³Ù±ğÅ°ù´Ç²Ô something aloft, from ³¾±ğ³Ù±ğÅ°ù´Ç²õ lofty, from meta- (intensifier) + aeirein to raise
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Usage

The streaks of light we sometimes see in the night sky and call meteors were not identified as interplanetary rocks until the 19th century. Before then, the streaks of light were considered only one of a variety of atmospheric phenomena, all of which bore the name meteor. Rain was an aqueous meteor, winds and storms were airy meteors, and streaks of light in the sky were fiery meteors. This general use of meteor survives in our word meteorology, the study of the weather and atmospheric phenomena. Nowadays, astronomers use any of three words for rocks from interplanetary space, depending on their stage of descent to the Earth. A meteoroid is a rock in space that has the potential to collide with the Earth's atmosphere. Meteoroids range in size from a speck of dust to a chunk about 100 meters in diameter, though most are smaller than a pebble. When a meteoroid enters the atmosphere, it becomes a meteor. The light that it gives off when heated by friction with the atmosphere is also called a meteor. If the rock is not obliterated by the friction and lands on the ground, it is called a meteorite. For this term, scientists borrowed the –i³Ù±ğ suffix used in the names of minerals like malachite and pyrite.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

We've seen meteor showers, Northern Lights, two full Moons and more recently the incredible planetary parade.

From

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.

From

Another notable event involved the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor, which was 66 feet in diameter.

From

Stargazers may also be able to spot shooting stars blazing across the skies, as the Quadrantid meteor shower continues.

From

Shooting stars darting across the darkened Southern California skies from an annual meteor shower will appear strongest over the next two days.

From

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More About Meteor

What is aÌımeteor?

´¡Ìımeteor 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 doesÌı³¾±ğ³Ù±ğ´Ç°ùÌıcome from?

The first records of meteor come from around 1570. It ultimately comes from the Greek ³¾±ğ³ÙéŰù´Ç²Ô, 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 ... ?

What are some other forms related to meteor?

  • meteorlike (adjective)

What are some synonyms for meteor?

What are some words that share a root or word element with meteor?

What are some words that often get used in discussing meteor?

What are some words meteor may be commonly confused with?

How isÌı³¾±ğ³Ù±ğ´Ç°ùÌıused in real life?

Meteors move through Earth’s atmosphere on a regular basis, and stargazers always enjoy watching them.

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Try usingÌımeteor!

True or False?

A meteor is a chunk of rock that travels through space.

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