1
: an atmospheric phenomenon (such as lightning or a snowfall)
2
a
: any of the small particles of matter in the solar system that are directly observable only by their incandescence from frictional heating on entry into the atmosphere
b
: the streak of light produced by the passage of a meteor
Examples of meteor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Lyrids typically produce around 10 to 20 meteors per hour under optimal conditions.
—
The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
During meteor showers, many meteors hit Earth's atmosphere in a short period.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2024
Fortunately for us, most of these small pieces of debris burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the ground — and that's what produces a meteor, or shooting star.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 3 Jan. 2024
Like all meteors, the chances of spotting one in the night sky depends on several factors.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023
The Geminids will peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning under near optimal moon conditions
The Geminid meteor shower awes sky watchers around the world every December—but this year promises a particularly spectacular show as the meteors streak across an exceptionally dark sky.
—Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2023
Though this shower is named after the constellation Gemini, which will be visible to the east, the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
—Nicole Clausing, Sunset Magazine, 8 Dec. 2023
Most people who spotted the meteor Wednesday night reported seeing it between 6:45 and 7 p.m. EST, the data shows, and most individual sightings lasted from 1 to 7 1/2 seconds.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
While Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence seem to be in two different movies about a meteor headed for Earth, Chalamet plays a quasi-homeless youth who is loose and alive in a way the actor isn’t often allowed to be.
—EW.com, 18 Feb. 2024
The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
During meteor showers, many meteors hit Earth's atmosphere in a short period.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2024
Fortunately for us, most of these small pieces of debris burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the ground — and that's what produces a meteor, or shooting star.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 3 Jan. 2024
Like all meteors, the chances of spotting one in the night sky depends on several factors.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023
The Geminids will peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning under near optimal moon conditions
The Geminid meteor shower awes sky watchers around the world every December—but this year promises a particularly spectacular show as the meteors streak across an exceptionally dark sky.
—Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2023
Though this shower is named after the constellation Gemini, which will be visible to the east, the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
—Nicole Clausing, Sunset Magazine, 8 Dec. 2023
Most people who spotted the meteor Wednesday night reported seeing it between 6:45 and 7 p.m. EST, the data shows, and most individual sightings lasted from 1 to 7 1/2 seconds.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
While Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence seem to be in two different movies about a meteor headed for Earth, Chalamet plays a quasi-homeless youth who is loose and alive in a way the actor isn’t often allowed to be.
—EW.com, 18 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meteor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near meteor
Cite this Entry
“Meteor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meteor. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
meteor
noun
me·te·or
ˈmēt-ē-ər 
-ē-ˌȯ(ə)r
: one of the small bodies of matter in the solar system observable when it falls into the earth's atmosphere where the heat of friction may cause it to glow brightly for a short time
also
: the streak of light produced by the passage of a meteor
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