micrometeor

1 9.8

A very small space rock that reaches Earth without burning

noun
/ˌmaɪkroʊˈmiːtiər/

Specialized

: micrometeoro

micrometeor impact

They don't have a thermal micrometeor garment shrouding the helmet.

Examples

Maybe a micrometeor dinged us.

Fiction book (2001)
They tended to collect meteor dust (at best) and get scarred and pitted from micrometeor impacts (at worst).

Fiction book (2001)
A micrometeor struck the satellite without causing any damage.
Scientists study the effects of micrometeors on spacecraft in orbit.
The surface of the asteroid is pockmarked with tiny craters formed by micrometeor impacts.

Synonyms

micrometeorite

vsmicrometeor

Specialized

1 9.5

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

is more general also including tiny objects that pass without reaching the ground

micrometeoroid

vsmicrometeor

Specialized

1 9.9

A very small rock from space that can hit Earth or a spacecraft

covers both tiny meteoroids and meteorites that pass without intense heating

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

micrometeor singular

micrometeors plural

Morphology

micrometeor = meteor (transparent) = micro + meteor

The meaning is directly compositional: 'micro-' means small and 'meteor' provides the base noun.

Etymology

Micrometeor joins micro- ('small') and meteor ('a space rock' or 'shooting star'), giving the image of something very tiny from space. So, a micrometeor is a very small space rock that can pass through the air to Earth without burning up.