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meteorite

meteorite

62 6.7
A piece of rock or metal from space that falls to Earth
  • noun
  • /ˈmiːtiəraɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : meteorito
  • Still, the majority of stony meteorites are cool to the touch when recovered.
  • types of meteorites
  • iron meteorites
  • stony meteorites

They can come from comets and and meteorites that bring water to the surface of the moon.

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Examples

  • So this happens when a meteorite hits the ground and it creates glass, basically.

  • Therefore, the meteorite must have landed somewhere on some sort of continent or land.

  • Sometimes a museum will buy the meteorite and whatever it hit for display.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • This was a little meteorite that came from Mars.

  • Then it dawned on him that the meteorite was heading in his general direction.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • And statistically, one person somewhere in the world could be struck by a meteorite every nine years.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The approximate path of the meteorite is shown by the arrow.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The relatively rare stony iron meteorites consist of roughly equal amounts of rock and iron.

    Academic text (1992)
  • About 3% of meteorites are iron meteorites, which are, not surprisingly, mostly iron, with some nickel.

    Academic text (1992)
  • A fascinating meteorite landed in our backyard last night, leaving a crater in the ground.

Synonyms

chondrite
vsmeteorite
  • Specialized
2 9.9

A rock from space that has small round mineral grains you can see

is the general surviving space rock term not limited by internal grains
meteorolite
vsmeteorite
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A rock or metal piece from space that falls to Earth

is the common modern term for that same falling space object
micrometeorite
vsmeteorite
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A tiny piece of rock from space that reaches the ground without burning up

covers surviving space rocks of any size after atmospheric entry
micrometeor
vsmeteorite
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A very small space rock that reaches Earth without burning

refers to surviving space rocks that land on the Earth's surface
starstone
vsmeteorite
  • Archaic
9.9

A stone from space that falls to Earth

is the neutral scientific term used for that object today
aerolite
vsmeteorite
  • Archaic
9.9

A stone from space that fell to Earth and is made mostly of rock minerals

is broader, covering both stony and metallic surviving space objects
achondrite
vsmeteorite
  • Specialized
9.9

A stony meteorite without small round grains that formed when its asteroid or planet melted

is the broader category for any surviving space rock regardless of formation
eucrite
vsmeteorite
  • Specialized
9.9

A stony meteorite made mostly of volcanic rock, often from the asteroid Vesta

is the general surviving space rock term not tied to a single origin
howardite
vsmeteorite
  • Specialized
9.9

A stony meteorite made of mixed rock pieces from asteroid 4 Vesta

is the general term for any space rock that lands on Earth
pallasite
vsmeteorite
  • Specialized
9.9

A space rock with green crystals set in shiny metal

is the broader surviving space rock term not defined by metal content

How Big

meteorite
  • Specialized
62 6.7
meteor
  • Specialized
300 4.1
meteoroid
  • Specialized
3 8.5
micrometeor
  • Specialized
1 9.8
cosmic dust
  • Specialized
1 6.3

Surface Forms

meteorite singular
meteorites plural

Morphology

meteorite = meteor (semi-transparent) = meteor + ite

The relation to 'meteor' is clear, but the suffix '-ite' (meaning a stone/mineral or object from) is somewhat specialized and may not be obvious to all B1 learners.

Etymology

The word meteorite comes from the Greek root meteor meaning 'high in the air' and the ending -ite that names stones. So a meteorite is a 'stone from the sky', which is why it is a rock that fell to Earth.