Meanings
asteroid1
nounasteroid (plural asteroids)
plural asteroids
- astronomyA naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and a dwarf planet, larger than a meteoroid and not a comet, that orbits a star and often has an irregular shape.
- astronomyIn the Solar System, such a body that orbits within the orbit of Jupiter.
The orbital planes of asteroids, minor bodies that circle the Sun mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, are often more tilted ...
2007, Hannu Karttunen et al., editors, Fundamental Astronomy, 5th edition, page 131
asteroid2
nounasteroid (plural asteroids)
plural asteroids
- biologyAny member of the taxonomic class Asteroidea; a starfish.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveshaped like a star
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
asteroid · noun
- Ancient Greekἀστεροειδής“starlike”
- Englishasteroid
]Introduced by German–British astronomer William Herschel in 1802 upon the suggestion of classical scholar Charles Burney Jr. (1757–1817), the son of music historian Charles Burney, a friend of Herschel's. Probably coined as a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀστεροειδής (asteroeidḗs, “starlike”), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “celestial body”) + -ειδής (-eidḗs, adjective-forming suffix). By surface analysis, aster + -oid.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →asteroid · noun
- Ancient Greekἀστεροειδής
- Englishasteroid
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀστεροειδής (asteroeidḗs), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”) + εἶδος (eîdos, “form”). Analyzable as aster- + -oid. Piecewise doublet of etymology 1. Compare also the botanical taxon Asteroideae.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic كُوَيْكِب
- كُوَيْكِب (kuwaykib)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Basque asteroide
- asteroideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Bengali গ্রহাণু
- গ্রহাণু (grohanu)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Bulgarian астерои́д
- астерои́д (asteroíd)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Catalan asteroide, planetoide
- asteroideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- planetoideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Chinese Cantonese 小行星
- 小行星astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Chinese Mandarin 小行星
- 小行星 (xiǎoxíngxīng)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Czech asteroid
- asteroidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Danish småplanet, asteroide
- småplanetastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- asteroideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- planetoideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Dutch planetoïde, asteroïde
- planetoïdeastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- asteroïdeastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Esperanto asteroido
- asteroidoastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Estonian asteroid
- asteroidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Finnish asteroidi
- asteroidiastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
French astéroïde
- astéroïdeastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
German Asteroid
- Asteroidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Greek αστεροειδής
- αστεροειδής (asteroeidís)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Hawaiian hōkūnaʻi
- hōkūnaʻiastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Hebrew אַסְטֶרוֹאִיד
- אַסְטֶרוֹאִיד (astero'íd)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Hindi क्षुद्रग्रह, उपग्रह
- क्षुद्रग्रह (kṣudragrah)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- उपग्रह (upagrah)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Hungarian kisbolygó, aszteroida
- kisbolygóastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- aszteroidaastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Icelandic smástirni
- smástirniastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Indonesian asteroid, planetoid
- asteroidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- planetoidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Irish astaróideach, mionphláinéad
- astaróideachastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- mionphláinéadastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Italian asteroide, pianetino
- asteroideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- pianetinoastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- planetoideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Japanese 小惑星
- 小惑星 (shōwakusei)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Korean 소행성
- 소행성 (sohaengseong)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Latvian asteroīds
- asteroīdsastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Lithuanian asteroidas
- asteroidasastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Malay asteroid
- asteroidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Māori aorangi iti
- aorangi itiastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Norwegian Bokmål asteroide
- asteroideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Polish asteroida, planetoida
- asteroidaastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- planetoidaastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Portuguese asteroide, planetoide
- asteroideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- planetoideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Romanian asteroid
- asteroidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Russian астеро́ид, ма́лая плане́та
- астеро́ид (asteróid)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- ма́лая плане́та (málaja planéta)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Slovak asteroid
- asteroidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Spanish asteroide, planetoide
- asteroideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- planetoideastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Swedish asteroid
- asteroidastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Tagalog malatala, asteroyde
- malatalaastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- asteroydeastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
- asteroydastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Tamil நுண்கோள்
- நுண்கோள் (nuṇkōḷ)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Thai ดาวเคราะห์น้อย
- ดาวเคราะห์น้อย (daao-krɔ́-nɔ́ɔi)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Turkish asteroit
- asteroitastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Ukrainian астеро́їд
- астеро́їд (asterójid)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Urdu سَیّارْچَہ
- سَیّارْچَہ (saiyārca)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Vietnamese tiểu hành tinh
- tiểu hành tinhastronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Yiddish אַסטערויד
- אַסטערויד (asteroyd)astronomy: a naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with asteroid
avoidvoidemployeddestroyedLloydFloydBoydunemployedsteroidparanoidannoyedFreuddevoidandroiddiploidoverjoyedbuoyedalloyedsphenoidunalloyedvocaloidarticloidboidcloyed
All rhymes →Sounds the same
astroid (one pronunciation)astroid (one pronunciation)
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
asteroid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asteroid
MLA
“asteroid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asteroid. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “asteroid,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asteroid.
Source: asteroid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.