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Glite Dictionary
micrometeoroid

micrometeoroid

1 9.9
A very small rock from space that can hit Earth or a spacecraft
  • noun
  • /ˌmaɪkroʊˈmiːtɪrɔɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : micrometeoro
  • Suspicion about the cause of the leak presently centers upon P-6's Photovoltaic Radiator (PVR), which may have sustained a micrometeoroid strike or simply suffered age-induced cracking.

Examples

  • The spacecraft is designed to withstand impacts from micrometeoroids that are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

  • Scientists study micrometeoroids to understand more about the origins of our solar system.

  • During the mission, the astronauts were concerned about hitting a micrometeoroid while traveling through space.

Synonyms

micrometeorite
vsmicrometeoroid
  • Specialized
1 9.5

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

is a tiny space particle that often reaches the surface instead of burning up
micrometeor
vsmicrometeoroid
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A very small space rock that reaches Earth without burning

is a small space particle that often reaches the surface rather than passing through

Surface Forms

micrometeoroid singular
micrometeoroids plural

Morphology

micrometeoroid = meteoroid (transparent) = micro + meteor + oid

The word is formed transparently by adding micro- to meteoroid, preserving the literal meaning of 'very small meteoroid'.

Etymology

Micrometeoroid comes from the prefix micro- meaning 'very small' and meteoroid, which is like a meteor or 'small rock from space'. So a micrometeoroid is literally a 'very small' space rock, which is why even tiny ones can hit satellites or reach the ground.