See Also: meteor(medicine)
meteor(dictionary)
meteor(encyclopedia)
meteor(dictionary)
meteor shower(encyclopedia)

meteor (iou)



meteor noun & adjective. L15.
[mod. Latin meteorum from Greek meteoron use as noun of neut. of meteoros raised up, lofty, formed as META- + alt. of base of aeirein raise.]
A. noun.
Any atmospheric phenomenon. Now techn. L15.
a. A small mass of rock or metal that enters the earth's atmosphere and as a result of friction with it becomes sufficiently incandescent to be visible; a shooting star. Formerly also, a comet. L16.
b. Any of various other luminous atmospheric appearances, as the aurora borealis, the ignis fatuus, etc. Now poet. L16.
c. A meteoroid. L18.
In pl. A treatise on atmospheric phenomena. L16-M17.
Comb.: meteor shower a group of meteors that seem to come from the same point in the sky, appearing when the earth passes through a meteor swarm; meteor swarm a group of meteoroids moving together in the same orbit; meteor trail a bright streak of ionized gas formed by a meteor passing through the upper atmosphere, which can provide a reflector for radio communication.
b. attrib. or as adjective. Blazing or flashing like a meteor; of short duration, transient. Chiefly poet. E18.