METEOR
WordNet
noun
(1) (astronomy) any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmosphere
(2) 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
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Of origin, derived from the , from the , itself of the , from + .
Noun
- A fast moving streak of light in the night sky caused by the entry of extraterrestrial matter into the earth's atmosphere.
- A prop similar to poi balls, in that it is twirled at the end of a cord or cable.
- A striking weapon resembling a Track and Field hammer consisting of a weight swung at the end of a cable or chain.
Quotations
Herman Melville, “The Portent (1859)”-
- But the streaming beard is shown
- (Weird John Brown),
- The meteor of the war.
Related terms
- meteorology
- meteoric