Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Meteor
Me′te-or
,Noun.
[F.
météore
, Gr. [GREEK], pl. [GREEK] things in the air, fr. [GREEK] high in air, raised off the ground; [GREEK] beyond + [GREEK], [GREEK], a suspension or hovering in the air, fr. [GREEK] to lift, raise up.] 1.
Any phenomenon or appearance in the atmosphere, as clouds, rain, hail, snow, etc.
Hail, an ordinary
meteor
. Bp. Hall.
2.
Specif.: A transient luminous body or appearance seen in the atmosphere, or in a more elevated region.
The vaulty top of heaven
Figured quite o’er with burning
Figured quite o’er with burning
meteors
. Shakespeare
☞ The term is especially applied to fireballs, and the masses of stone or other substances which sometimes fall to the earth; also to shooting stars and to ignes fatui. Meteors are often classed as: aerial meteors, winds, tornadoes, etc.; aqueous meteors, rain, hail, snow, dew, etc.; luminous meteors, rainbows, halos, etc.; and igneous meteors, lightning, shooting stars, and the like.
Webster 1828 Edition
Meteor
ME'TEOR
,Noun.
1.
In a general sense, a body that flies or floats in the air, and in this sense it includes rain,hail, snow, &c. But in a restricted sense, in which it is commonly understood.2.
A fiery or luminous body or appearance flying or floating in the atmosphere, or in a more elevated region. We give this name to the brilliant globes or masses of matter which are occasionally seen moving rapidly through our atmosphere, and which throw off, with loud explosions, fragments that reach the earth, and are called falling stones. We call by the same name those fire balls which are usually denominated falling stars, supposed to be owning to gelatinous matter inflated by phosphureted hydrogen gas; also,the lights which appear over moist grounds and grave yards, called ignes fatui, which are ascribed to the same cause. And meteor-like flame lawless through the sky.
Definition 2024
Meteor
meteor
meteor
English
Noun
meteor (plural meteors)
- (archaic) Any atmospheric phenomenon. (Thus the derivation of meteorology.) These were sometimes classified as aerial or airy meteors (winds), aqueous or watery meteors (hydrometeors: clouds, rain, snow, hail, dew, frost), luminous meteors (rainbows and aurora), and igneous or fiery meteors (lightning and shooting stars [next]).
- A fast-moving streak of light in the night sky caused by the entry of extraterrestrial matter into the earth's atmosphere: A shooting star or falling star.
- (juggling) A prop similar to poi balls, in that it is twirled at the end of a cord or cable.
- (martial arts) A striking weapon resembling a track and field hammer consisting of a weight swung at the end of a cable or chain.
Usage notes
- (streak of light in night sky): Not to be confused with meteoroid and meteorite (cause and remains of a meteor), or asteroid and comet (celestial bodies).
Quotations
- p. 1859 December, Herman Melville, “The Portent (1859)”
- But the streaming beard is shown
- (Weird John Brown),
- The meteor of the war.
Synonyms
- (streak of light in night sky): falling star, shooting star, faxed star
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
meteor
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Translations
streak of light
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juggling prop
striking weapon
Verb
meteor (third-person singular simple present meteors, present participle meteoring, simple past and past participle meteored)
- (intransitive) To move at great speed.
Anagrams
Hungarian
Etymology
From English meteor or German Meteor.[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈmɛtɛor]
- Hyphenation: me‧te‧or
Noun
meteor (plural meteorok)
- (astronomy) meteor (a fast-moving streak of light in the night sky caused by the entry of extraterrestrial matter into the earth's atmosphere)
Declension
| Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |
| nominative | meteor | meteorok |
| accusative | meteort | meteorokat |
| dative | meteornak | meteoroknak |
| instrumental | meteorral | meteorokkal |
| causal-final | meteorért | meteorokért |
| translative | meteorrá | meteorokká |
| terminative | meteorig | meteorokig |
| essive-formal | meteorként | meteorokként |
| essive-modal | — | — |
| inessive | meteorban | meteorokban |
| superessive | meteoron | meteorokon |
| adessive | meteornál | meteoroknál |
| illative | meteorba | meteorokba |
| sublative | meteorra | meteorokra |
| allative | meteorhoz | meteorokhoz |
| elative | meteorból | meteorokból |
| delative | meteorról | meteorokról |
| ablative | meteortól | meteoroktól |
| Possessive forms of meteor | ||
|---|---|---|
| possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
| 1st person sing. | meteorom | meteorjaim |
| 2nd person sing. | meteorod | meteorjaid |
| 3rd person sing. | meteorja | meteorjai |
| 1st person plural | meteorunk | meteorjaink |
| 2nd person plural | meteorotok | meteorjaitok |
| 3rd person plural | meteorjuk | meteorjaik |
References
- ↑ Tótfalusi István, Idegenszó-tár: Idegen szavak értelmező és etimológiai szótára. Tinta Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2005, ISBN 963 7094 20 2
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Ancient Greek "meteoron"
Noun
meteor m (definite singular meteoren, indefinite plural meteorer, definite plural meteorene)
- a meteor
Synonyms
- stjerneskudd, stjerneskott
Derived terms
References
- “meteor” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Ancient Greek "meteoron"
Noun
meteor m (definite singular meteoren, indefinite plural meteorar, definite plural meteorane)
- a meteor
Synonyms
- stjerneskot, stjerneskott
Derived terms
References
- “meteor” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Polish
Noun
meteor m inan
Declension
declension of meteor
Serbo-Croatian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /metěoːr/
- Hyphenation: me‧te‧or
Noun
metèōr m (Cyrillic spelling метѐо̄р)
Declension
Declension of meteor
Swedish
Noun
meteor c
Declension
| Inflection of meteor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | meteor | meteoren | meteorer | meteorerna |
| Genitive | meteors | meteorens | meteorers | meteorernas |