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Glite Dictionary
meteoritics

meteoritics

1 7.9
The study of rocks from space and how they form and hit Earth
  • noun
  • /ˌmiːtəˈrɪtɪks/
  • Specialized
: meteoritica
  • The study of meteoritics helps scientists understand the origins of meteorites and their effects on Earth.

Examples

  • "One can speculate whether the swastika symbol on the statue was a potential motivation to displace the 'iron man' meteorite artifact to Germany," the researchers wrote online Sept. 14 in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science.

    Blog text (26)

  • At the conference on meteoritics, experts discussed the properties and impacts of meteorite falls.

  • The scientists published their study of the Iron Man statue in September 2012 in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science.

    Blog text (34)

  • If the amateur meteorite hunter comes upon an interesting specimen, he or she can take it to a facility (the University of New Mexico Institute of Meteoritics is one example) where experts will test it.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Knowledge of geology and astronomy is essential for anyone pursuing a career in meteoritics.

Surface Forms

meteoritics singular
meteoritics plural

Morphology

meteoritics = meteorite (transparent) = meteorite + ics

Formed from the noun 'meteorite' plus the discipline-forming suffix '-ics', so a learner knowing 'meteorite' and the '-ics' pattern can infer it means the study of meteorites.

Etymology

Meteoritics comes from meteor, a word for a rock or 'falling star' from the sky, and the ending -ics, as in physics, meaning 'field of study'. So, meteoritics is the science that studies rocks from space and their effects on Earth.