meteor

plural meteors

1. climatologyAn atmospheric or meteorological phenomenon. 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).First known use 16th c.

   Europe, where the Sun dares ſcarce appeare, For freezing Meteors and congealed cold: […]

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i

   2 more examples

   The twilight, the meteors call'd fire-balls, or flying dragons, and the northern lights, inhabit the higher regions of the atmosphere.

   1791, Erasmus Darwin, The Economy of Vegetation, J. Johnson, page 10

   A meteor in the hazy air / Play’d before his path; / Before him now it roll’d / A globe of livid fire […] Anon to Thalaba it mov’d, / And wrapt him in its pale innocuous fire.

   1801, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC

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.First known use 16th c.

   Synonyms: falling star, shooting star, faxed star, 🌠︎

3. artsA prop similar to poi balls, in that it is twirled at the end of a cord or cable.
4. governmentA striking weapon resembling a track and field hammer consisting of a weight swung at the end of a cable or chain.
5. figurativelyAny short-lived source of wonderment.

present singular third person meteors · participle present meteoring · participle past meteored · past meteored

1. intransitiveTo move at great speed.