meteor
/'mi:tjə/
Definition
- Noun:
- A visible streak of light in the sky: A meteor is the bright, fast-moving streak of light seen in the night sky when a small piece of space debris (a meteoroid) burns up upon entering Earth's atmosphere due to friction with the air.
- The extraterrestrial body itself: In astronomy, a meteor can also refer to the small, solid particle from space (a meteoroid) that causes this luminous phenomenon when it enters the atmosphere.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- We saw a brilliant meteor streak across the sky last night.
- Scientists study meteors to learn about the composition of our solar system.
Advanced Usage
- "Meteor shower": A celestial event where numerous meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the sky.
- The Perseid meteor shower occurs every August.
- "Meteor burst": A term sometimes used for a very bright meteor or a sudden increase in meteor activity.
Variants and Related Words
- Meteoroid (n): A small rocky or metallic body in outer space, significantly smaller than an asteroid. It becomes a meteor when it enters an atmosphere.
- Meteorite (n): A meteoroid that survives its passage through the atmosphere and lands on the surface of a planet or moon.
- Meteoric (adj): Relating to meteors; also used figuratively to describe something that is very rapid, brilliant, and often short-lived (e.g., ).
Synonyms
- Shooting star: A common, non-scientific term for a meteor.
- Falling star: Another common term for a meteor.
Related Phrases
- "Wish upon a shooting star": A common cultural idiom where people make a wish when they see a meteor.
- Make a wish! You just saw a shooting star.
Notes on Meaning
- The term meteor specifically refers to the itself, not the physical object in space (which is a meteoroid) or the object that lands (which is a meteorite). However, in general and even some scientific contexts, it can be used more loosely to refer to the incoming body.
- Figuratively, describing something as meteoric (e.g., ) implies sudden, dazzling success that may not last.
Noun
-
a streak of light in the sky at night that results when a meteoroid hits the earth's atmosphere and air friction causes the meteoroid to melt or vaporize or explode
-
(astronomy) any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmosphere
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