meteorite

[ mee-tee-uh-rahyt ]

noun

1. a mass of stone or metal that has reached the earth from outer space; a fallen meteoroid.
2. a meteoroid.

meteorite

/ ˌmiːtɪəˈrɪtɪk; ˈmiːtɪəˌraɪt /

noun

1. 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

/ mē′tē-ə-rīt′ /

1. 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.
2. ◆ Meteorites that consist mostly of silicates are called stony meteorites and are classified as either chondrites or achondrites.
3. ◆ Meteorites that consist mostly of iron are called iron meteorites.
4. ◆ Meteorites that consist of a mixture of silicates and iron are called stony-iron meteorites.

Derived Forms

• meteoritic, adjective

Other Words From

• me·te·or·it·ic [mee-tee-, uh, -, rit, -ik], mete·or·iti·cal me·te·or·it·al [mee-tee-, uh, -, rahyt, -l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of meteorite¹

First recorded in 1815–25; meteor + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

A huge meteorite first discovered in 2014 caused a tsunami bigger than any in known human history and boiled the oceans, scientists have discovered.

From BBC

The meteorite S2 was much larger than the space rock we are most familiar with.

From BBC

The team have now re-constructed just what the S2 meteorite did when it violently careened into Earth.

From BBC

The impact site in Eastern Barberton Greenbelt is one of the oldest places on Earth with remnants of a meteorite crash.

From BBC

These impacts are similar to what geologists have found about other big meteorite impacts and what was suspected for S2.

From BBC