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
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.
[Gr. sublime, lofty.]
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

See also: meteor and meteor.

German

Noun

Meteor m

  1. meteor (streak of light caused by extraterrestrial matter entering the atmosphere)

meteor

meteor

See also: Meteor and meteor.

English

Noun

meteor (plural meteors)

  1. (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]).
  2. 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.
  3. (juggling) A prop similar to poi balls, in that it is twirled at the end of a cord or cable.
  4. (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

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

meteor (third-person singular simple present meteors, present participle meteoring, simple past and past participle meteored)

  1. (intransitive) To move at great speed.

Anagrams


Catalan

Noun

meteor m (plural meteors)

  1. meteor

Hungarian

Etymology

From English meteor or German Meteor.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈmɛtɛor]
  • Hyphenation: me‧te‧or

Noun

meteor (plural meteorok)

  1. (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

  1. 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)

  1. a meteor

Synonyms

Derived terms

References


Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Ancient Greek "meteoron"

Noun

meteor m (definite singular meteoren, indefinite plural meteorar, definite plural meteorane)

  1. a meteor

Synonyms

  • stjerneskot, stjerneskott

Derived terms

References


Polish

Noun

meteor m inan

  1. (astronomy) meteor

Declension


Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /metěoːr/
  • Hyphenation: me‧te‧or

Noun

metèōr m (Cyrillic spelling метѐо̄р)

  1. (astronomy) meteor

Declension


Swedish

Noun

meteor c

  1. meteor

Declension

Inflection of meteor 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative meteor meteoren meteorer meteorerna
Genitive meteors meteorens meteorers meteorernas

Related terms

See also