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 last 17% is made up of everything from aircraft impacts and meteorites to sink holes and snow.

From Los Angeles Times

The team of scientists also found evidence of a huge meteorite crash in the region four billion years ago.

From BBC

"With the existing collection of martian meteorites, all of which are volcanic in origin, we are able to better understand the internal structure of Mars."

From Science Daily

People living in parts of Staffordshire have been asked to look out for "dark shiny rocks that stand out" after a meteorite was suspected to have landed in the county.

From BBC