noun

meteorite

MEE-tih-uh-ryt

Meteorite (noun) means a piece of rock or metal from space that survives falling through the atmosphere and lands on the ground. Example: “Scientists found a meteorite buried deep in the Antarctic ice.”

noun

A piece of rock or metal from space that survives falling through the atmosphere and lands on the ground.

"Scientists found a meteorite buried deep in the Antarctic ice."

"The museum displays a meteorite that fell over a century ago."

How to use meteorite

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA space rock that has actually hit the Earth (while it is still burning in the sky, it is called a meteor instead).

Common mistake

Don't mix up meteor (the streak of light in the sky), meteorite (the rock once it lands), and meteoroid (the object while still in space).

Easily confused with

meteor → meteoroid →

Word forms

meteorites plural

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Scientists found a _____ buried deep in the Antarctic ice.

Etymology

From meteor + -ite, a suffix often used for rocks and minerals.

Rhymes for meteorite

rite bite lite kite cite mite site white write trite smite quite

See all rhymes for meteorite →

Frequently asked questions

What does “meteorite” mean?

The word “meteorite” means a piece of rock or metal from space that survives falling through the atmosphere and lands on the ground. In plain terms, a space rock that has actually hit the Earth (while it is still burning in the sky, it is called a meteor instead).

How do you pronounce “meteorite”?

“Meteorite” is pronounced MEE-tih-uh-ryt (/ˈmi.ti.əˌɹaɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “meteorite” in a sentence?

Here is “meteorite” used in a sentence: “Scientists found a meteorite buried deep in the Antarctic ice.”

What part of speech is “meteorite”?

“Meteorite” is a noun.