meteoroid
/ˈmiːtiərɔɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmiːtiərɔɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmē-tē-ə-ˌrȯid/ (ame, mw)
meteoroid — noun
- meteoroidsingular
- meteoroidsplural
1. a small natural object made of rock or metal that travels through space before e
a small natural object made of rock or metal that travels through space before entering a planet's atmosphere — at that point it is called a meteor, and if it reaches the ground it becomes a meteorite.
Dr. Wei studied a meteoroid that came from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
meteoroid + origin (from + place)
NASA's telescope spotted a meteoroid moving fast toward the outer edge of the solar system.
A meteoroid the size of a small stone hit the ground in Canada last year, and scientists called it a meteorite.
Scientists think this meteoroid broke off from a larger asteroid after a collision in space.
Most meteoroids burn up in the atmosphere long before they ever reach the surface of the Earth.
- space rock
informal, non-technical term for any small natural object in space
- asteroid fragment
more specific — a meteoroid that came from an asteroid rather than a comet
用法筆記
This term is specific to astronomy. A meteoroid becomes a meteor when it enters the atmosphere and a meteorite when it lands on the ground. Learners often use meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite interchangeably, but they refer to different stages of the same object.