Meteor
/ˈmiːtiər/noun
A streak of light seen when a small body from space burns up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Did you know?In ancient Greek, meteoros described things suspended aloft, which is why meteorology originally meant the study of atmospheric phenomena, not space rocks.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μετέωρος (meteōros)
“high in the air; suspended aloft; lofty”
Late Greek
Greek
μετέωρον (meteōron)
“a thing in the air; an atmospheric phenomenon”
Late Latin
Latin
meteoron / meteora
“an atmospheric phenomenon, especially a celestial or aerial sign”
Middle French
French
météore
“a meteor; an aerial or celestial phenomenon”
16th Century
English
meteor
“an atmospheric or celestial phenomenon, later the streak of light from a burning space particle”
Modern English
English
meteor
“the visible streak produced when a meteoroid burns in Earth’s atmosphere”
Explore more surprising origins