meteorite
Americannoun
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a mass of stone or metal that has reached the earth from outer space; a fallen meteoroid.
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a meteoroid.
noun
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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.
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◆ Meteorites that consist mostly of silicates are called stony meteorites and are classified as either chondrites or achondrites.
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◆ Meteorites that consist mostly of iron are called iron meteorites.
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◆ Meteorites that consist of a mixture of silicates and iron are called stony-iron meteorites.
Other Word Forms
- meteorital adjective
- meteoritic adjective
- meteoritical adjective
Etymology
Origin of meteorite
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The page focuses on science communication and aims to distinguish genuine risks from unfounded speculation about meteorites and asteroids.
From Science Daily
Scientists have long studied amino acids in carbon rich meteorites, including the well known Murchison meteorite that fell in Australia in 1969.
From Science Daily
One possibility is that meteorites striking Mars delivered organic material to the surface.
From Science Daily
The experiments included exposure to powerful shock waves comparable to those created by meteorite impacts on Mars, as well as perchlorate salts, which are toxic compounds known to exist in Martian soil.
From Science Daily
They evaluated long-term exposure to cosmic rays, changes during magma evolution, and contamination from meteorites.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
