meteorite

noun

me·​te·​or·​ite ˈmē-tē-ə-ˌrīt How to pronounce meteorite (audio)
: a meteor that reaches the surface of the earth without being completely vaporized
meteoritic adjective
or less commonly meteoritical

Examples of meteorite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lastly, the slices are plated with rhodium, which provides a protective layer that wards off corrosion of the iron-rich meteorite. Nancy Olson, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Tobin’s results suggest that this latter pathway plays a prominent role but that water-delivering comets and meteorites do not work alone. Shannon Hall, Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2024 Johnson Space Center also contains samples from the moon, meteorites, and orbital debris. George Petras, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 The stove didn’t work and there were no closets, but the ceilings were high and there was a filthy skylight in the kitchen that Randall, the property manager, told me was put in after a meteorite came through the roof in 1999. Longreads, 11 Jan. 2024 One asteroid sample is on display in the museum’s Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals meteorite gallery. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023 Craters form when meteorites and other objects hit the moon, churning up debris from inside the moon, per CNN’s Ashley Strickland. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Jan. 2024 One is from space (a meteorite that landed in Wisconsin). Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 After four decades of collecting, Musser had amassed 630 kilograms of meteorites. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meteorite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meteorite was in 1811

Dictionary Entries Near meteorite

Cite this Entry

“Meteorite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meteorite. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

meteorite

noun
me·​te·​or·​ite ˈmēt-ē-ə-ˌrīt How to pronounce meteorite (audio)
: a meteor that reaches the surface of the earth

More from Merriam-Webster on meteorite

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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