A meteor is a piece of rock or metal that burns very brightly when it enters the earth's atmosphere from space.
Synonyms: falling star, comet, meteorite, fireball More Synonyms of meteor
meteor in British English
(ˈmiːtɪə)
noun
1.
a very small meteoroid that has entered the earth's atmosphere. Such objects have speeds approaching 70 kilometres per second
2. Also called: shooting star, falling star
the bright streak of light appearing in the sky due to the incandescence of such a body heated by friction at its surface
Word origin
C15: from Medieval Latin meteōrum, from Greek meteōron something aloft, from meteōros lofty, from meta- (intensifier) + aeirein to raise
meteor in American English
(ˈmitiər; ˈmitˌi ɔr)
noun
1.
the luminous phenomenon observed when a meteoroid is heated by its entry into the earth's atmosphere; shooting star; falling star
see also fireball
2. Loosely
a meteoroid or meteorite
3. Meteorology
any atmospheric phenomenon, as precipitation, lightning, or a rainbow
Word origin
ME < ML meteorum < Gr meteōron, pl. meteōra, things in the air < meteōros, lifted up, in air < meta, beyond (see meta-) + eōra, a hovering in the air (akin to aeirein, to lift up)
Examples of 'meteor' in a sentence
meteor
Before we leave the solar system I should mention two meteor showers this month.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They became a menace after most people were blinded in a meteor shower.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
How worried should we be about a meteor shower hitting us?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The meteor did not strike and the forces of good and evil knocked off early.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
One found it in the grounds, possibly after a meteor strike.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Provided it is reasonably clear and dark, you should see about one meteor per minute.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Did a meteor light the road to Damascus?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Did witnesses really interrupt a visit from little green men, or was it simply a meteor shower lighting up the sky?
The Sun (2013)
A meteor strike, and that was the end of them.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It's not meteor strikes, or aliens that destroy our world.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It's a bit like gazing up at a meteor shower, but also like gazing down into a molecule.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
meteor
British English: meteor NOUN
A meteor is a piece of rock or metal that burns very brightly when it enters the earth's atmosphere from space.
American English: meteor
Brazilian Portuguese: meteoro
Chinese: 流星
European Spanish: meteoro
French: météore
German: Meteor
Italian: meteora
Japanese: 流星
Korean: 유성
European Portuguese: meteoro
Latin American Spanish: meteoro
(noun)
Definition
the bright streak of light appearing in the sky due to a piece of rock or metal burning up because of friction as it falls through the atmosphere
It takes place in the future after a meteor has landed.