meteor en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈmiːtɪɔː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈmi.ɾiɚ] (US)
- /ˈmi.tiɚ/ (US)
- /ˈmi.tioɹ/ (US)
- /ˈmiːtɪ.ə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
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.
Meanings
-
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).
Europe, where the Sun dares ſcarce appeare, For freezing Meteors and congealed cold: […]
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i: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.
1801, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC:The twilight, the meteors call'd fire-balls, or flying dragons, and the northern lights, inhabit the higher regions of the atmosphere.
1791, Erasmus Darwin, The Economy of Vegetation, J. Johnson, page 10:
- 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.
- 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.
- (figuratively) Any short-lived source of wonderment.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| meteors | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
asteroid (astronomical phenomenon) · comet (astronomical phenomenon)
Deriveds
hydrometeor · meteorette · supermeteor · aerometeor · meteorize · meteoroscopy · meteoritic · meteorometer · meteorite · meteoroscope · meteorolite · lithometeor · meteorous · meteor hammer · meteoroid · meteor strike · meteorology · meteory · meteoroidal · meteor bumper · meteor steel · meteor shower · meteorlike · meteorical · meteorosophistical · megacryometeor · meteoric · meteoromancy · meteoritics · Great Meteor · meteoriticist · meteorist · meteorography · meteorism · meteor storm · meteorograph
Synonyms
shooting star (streak of light in night sky) · 🌠︎ (streak of light in night sky) · faxed star (streak of light in night sky) · falling star (streak of light in night sky)
Translations (129)
ga meitéar (streak of light) · pl spadająca gwiazda (streak of light) · as উল্কা (streak of light) · hu meteor (streak of light) · ur شِہابِیَّہ (streak of light) · eo meteoro (streak of light) · ja 流れ星 (streak of light) · mi kōkiri (streak of light) · pa ਕੇਤੂ (streak of light) · ro meteor (streak of light) · de Meteor (streak of light) · az axan ulduz (streak of light) · cy seren wib (streak of light) · tg шиҳоб (streak of light) · he מֶטֶאוֹר (streak of light) · mi tūmatakōkiri (streak of light) · ms meteor (streak of light) · kk метеор (streak of light) · nv sǫʼ náádiilwoʼígíí (streak of light) · ky метеор (streak of light) · km កេតុ (streak of light) · lv meteors (streak of light) · tl bulalakaw (streak of light) · lo ອຸກກາ (streak of light) · gl meteoro (streak of light) · be мэтэо́р (streak of light) · pl meteor (streak of light) · cs povětroň (streak of light) · cmn 流星 (streak of light) · ca meteor (streak of light) · pt meteoro (streak of light) · ko 류성 (streak of light) · ur اُلْکا (streak of light) · eu meteoro (streak of light) · yue 流星 (streak of light) · nv sǫʼ nanidéhígíí (streak of light) · hu hullócsillag (streak of light) · sh metèōr (streak of light) · cs meteor (streak of light) · kw steren-wibya (streak of light) · sv meteor (streak of light) · lo ທຸມະເກດ (streak of light) · mi matakōkiri (streak of light) · th ดาวตก (streak of light) · fi tähdenlento (streak of light) · id meteor (streak of light) · mi kōtiri (streak of light) · my ဥပါကြယ် (streak of light) · haw akua lele (streak of light) · ms tahi bintang (streak of light) · lo ດາວຕົກ (streak of light) · nl meteoor (streak of light) · ar شِهَاب (streak of light) · is stjörnuhrap (streak of light) · rsk метеор (streak of light) · ko 유성 (streak of light) · ur شِہاب (streak of light) · la meteōrum (streak of light) · be метэо́р (streak of light) · hy ասուպ (streak of light) · pqm esqotewit (streak of light) · sa उल्का (streak of light) · mnc ᡝᠶᡝᡵᡝ ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ (streak of light) · nan-hbl 流星 (streak of light) · ja 流星 (streak of light) · sl meteor (streak of light) · mn солир (streak of light) · vi sao băng (streak of light) · da meteor (streak of light) · my ဥက္ကာ (streak of light) · th อุกกาบาต (streak of light) · tl taeng-bituin (streak of light) · it meteora (streak of light) · bg метео́р (streak of light) · haw koli (streak of light) · mi kōtiritiri (streak of light) · el μετέωρο (streak of light) · nl vallende ster (streak of light) · mt meteora (streak of light) · lt meteoras (streak of light) · tk meteor (streak of light) · as পপীয়া তৰা (streak of light) · az meteor (streak of light) · tg метеор (streak of light) · uz meteor (streak of light) · scn mitèuru (streak of light) · et meteoor (streak of light) · hi उल्का (streak of light) · pi ukkā (streak of light) · ga dreige (streak of light) · sw kimondo (streak of light) · kw steren-leski (streak of light) · th กลาบาต (streak of light) · fa-ira شَهاب (streak of light) · mic pugtewit (streak of light) · ota شهاب (streak of light) · te ఉల్క (streak of light) · gd dreag (streak of light) · fr météore (streak of light) · mk метеор (streak of light) · ru метео́р (streak of light) · ast meteoru (streak of light) · ug ئاقار يۇلتۇز (streak of light) · ps شهاب (streak of light) · ps اسماني تيږه (streak of light) · fa-ira شَخانِه (streak of light) · uk метео́р (streak of light) · pa ਉਲਕਾ (streak of light) · tr şahap (streak of light) · nb meteor (streak of light) · oc meteòr (streak of light) · cs létavice (streak of light) · rw kibonumwe (streak of light) · sk meteor (streak of light) · es meteoro (streak of light) · sh метѐо̄р (streak of light) · haw hōkū lele (streak of light) · cwa ekimondo class 7 (streak of light) · yi מעטעאָר (streak of light) · fa-ira نِیْزَک (streak of light) · ka მეტეორი (streak of light) · rue метео́р (streak of light) · rw kibona umwe (streak of light) · ug مېتېئور (streak of light) · sq meteor (streak of light) · tr meteor (streak of light) · km អាកាសបាតុភូត (streak of light) · fi meteori (streak of light) · bn উল্কা (streak of light)