Leonid

[ lee-uh-nid ]

noun

, Astronomy.

, plural Le·o·nids, Le·on·i·des [lee-, on, -i-deez].

1. any of a shower of meteors occurring around November 15 and appearing to radiate from a point in the constellation Leo.

Leonid

/ ˈliːənɪd /

noun

1. any member of a meteor shower that is usually insignificant, but more spectacular every 33 years, and occurs annually in mid-November, appearing to radiate from a point in the constellation Leo

Word History and Origins

Origin of Leonid¹

1875–80; < New Latin Leonidēs, equivalent to Latin Leōn- (stem of Leō ) Leo + -idēs -id ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of Leonid¹

C19: from New Latin Leōnidēs, from leō lion

Example Sentences

Russian MP Leonid Slutsky, head of the pro-Kremlin Liberal-Democratic Party, predicted that the decision would "inevitably lead to a serious escalation, threatening serious consequences".

From BBC

Every November the Earth passes through the debris of Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which gives us the Leonid shower.

From BBC

Look to the skies late on Sunday night into early Monday morning and you may well see some shooting stars as the Leonid meteor shower peaks.

From BBC

Arctic air also tends to be cleaner so with some clear skies on Sunday night, there could be a good chance of seeing the Leonid meteor shower.

From BBC

“Once every 33 years or so, the 'lion roars,' as Leonid meteors seem to rain down from the Sickle asterism of the constellation Leo,” writes David Dickinson of Universe Today, who has seen the Leonids up close, when explaining why this particular Leonids meteor shower could be memorable.

From Salon