meteorite

[ mee-tee-uh-rahyt ]
/ ˈmi ti əˌraɪt /

noun

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

Origin of meteorite

First recorded in 1815–25; meteor + -ite1

OTHER WORDS FROM meteorite

me·te·or·it·ic [mee-tee-uh-rit-ik] /ˌmi ti əˈrɪt ɪk/, me·te·or·it·i·cal, me·te·or·it·al [mee-tee-uh-rahyt-l] /ˌmi ti əˈraɪt l/, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH meteorite

meteor meteoric meteorite meteoroid

Example sentences from the Web for meteorites

British Dictionary definitions for meteorites

meteorite
/ (ˈmiːtɪəˌraɪt) /

noun

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

Derived forms of meteorite

meteoritic (ˌmiːtɪəˈrɪtɪk), adjective

Scientific definitions for meteorites

meteorite
[ mētē-ə-rīt′ ]

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.♦ Meteorites that consist mostly of silicates are called stony meteorites and are classified as either chondrites or achondrites. ♦ Meteorites that consist mostly of iron are called iron meteorites. ♦ Meteorites that consist of a mixture of silicates and iron are called stony-iron meteorites.

Cultural definitions for meteorites

meteorites

Objects from outside the Earth that enter the Earth's field of gravitation and fall to the Earth's surface. Meteors, on the other hand, are objects from space that burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.

notes for meteorites

Meteorites are bodies that are left over from the time when the planets formed, and therefore give us clues about the formation of the solar system.