meteor
/ˈmi.tiɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.55 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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).
noun
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.
noun
A striking weapon resembling a track and field hammer consisting of a weight swung at the end of a cable or chain.
noun
Example Sentences
- "Europe, where the Sun dares ſcarce appeare, For freezing Meteors and congealed cold: […]"
- "The twilight, the meteors call'd fire-balls, or flying dragons, and the northern lights, inhabit the higher regions of the atmosphere."
- "A meteor in the hazy air / Play’d before his path; / Before him now it roll’d / A globe of livid fire […] Anon to Thalaba it mov’d, / And wrapt him in its pale innocuous fire."
Etymology
From Middle French météore, from Old French, from Latin meteorum, from Ancient Greek μετέωρον (metéōron), from μετέωρος (metéōros, “raised from the ground, hanging, lofty”), from μετά (metá, “in the midst of, among, between”) (English meta) + ἀείρω (aeírō, “to lift, to heave, to raise up”). The original sense of “atmospheric phenomenon” gave rise to meteorology, but the meaning of "meteor" is now restricted to extraterrestrial objects burning up as they enter the atmosphere.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: météore, -, meteorum, μετέωρον
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmi.tiɚ/
- British English: /ˈmiːtɪ.ə/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Astronomy.