meteor
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A small rock that burns up brightly as it falls through the sky.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
meeteeerSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmitiɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
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
A fast-moving streak of light in the night sky caused by the entry of extraterrestrial matter into the earth's atmosphere; a shooting star or falling star.
astronomy
Any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmosphere
now meteorology
An atmospheric or meteorological phenomenon. These were sometimes classified as aerial or airy meteors (winds), aqueous or watery meteors (hydrometeors: clouds, rain, snow, hail, dew, frost), luminous meteors (rainbows and aurora), and igneous or fiery meteors (lightning and shooting stars).
figurative
Any short-lived source of wonderment.
verb
intransitive
To move at great speed.
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: 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
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