Advertisement
Advertisement
meteorite
[mee-tee-uh-rahyt]
noun
a mass of stone or metal that has reached the earth from outer space; a fallen meteoroid.
a meteoroid.
meteorite
/ ˌmiːtɪəˈrɪtɪk, ˈmiːtɪəˌraɪt /
noun
a rocklike object consisting of the remains of a meteoroid that has fallen on earth. It may be stony (chondrite), iron, or stony iron (pallasite) See chondrite
meteorite
A meteor that reaches the Earth's surface because it has not been burned up by friction with the atmosphere. Meteorites are believed to be fragments of comets and asteroids.
◆ Meteorites that consist mostly of silicates are called stony meteorites and are classified as either chondrites or achondrites.
◆ Meteorites that consist mostly of iron are called iron meteorites.
◆ Meteorites that consist of a mixture of silicates and iron are called stony-iron meteorites.
Other Word Forms
- meteoritic adjective
- meteoritical adjective
- meteorital adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of meteorite1
Example Sentences
Smaller sources of water may also have come from ancient meteorite strikes.
"I'm extremely excited," she says, after showing us how she cuts meteorites using a diamond blade.
The earliest known iron artefacts - nine tubular beads - were made from meteoritic iron, which comes from fallen meteorites.
Even if this asteroid hits Earth, it could burn up in the atmosphere and become a much smaller meteorite before it lands.
An asteroid becomes a meteorite when it travels to Earth from a nearby orbit or the outer solar system and collides with Earth, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse