Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

meteor

me.te.or \'me-t-e--*r, -e--.o.(*)r\ n [ME, fr. MF meteore, fr. ML meteorum, 
   fr. Gk meteo-ron phenomeno]n in the sky, fr. neut. of meteo-ros high in 
   air, fr. meta- + -eo-ros (akin to Gk aeirein to lift) 1: a phenomenon or 
   appearance in the atmosphere (as lightning, a rainbow, o r a snowfall) 2a: 
   one of the small particles of matter in the solar system observable dir 
   ectly only when it falls into the earth's atmosphere where friction may 
   cause its temporary incandescence 2b: the streak of light produced by the 
   passage of a meteor