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meteorital

 - 3 dictionary results

me⋅te⋅or⋅ite

[mee-tee-uh-rahyt]
–noun
1. a mass of stone or metal that has reached the earth from outer space; a fallen meteoroid.
2. a meteoroid.

Origin:
1815–25; meteor + -ite 1


me⋅te⋅or⋅it⋅ic [mee-tee-uh-rit-ik] , me⋅te⋅or⋅it⋅i⋅cal, me⋅te⋅or⋅it⋅al [mee-tee-uh-rahyt-l] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

meteorite 
"rock that falls to earth, after streaking across the sky as a meteor," formed in Eng. 1824.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
meteorite   (mē'tē-ə-rīt')  Pronunciation Key 
A meteor that reaches the Earth's surface because it has not been burned up by friction with the atmosphere. Meteorites are believed to be fragments of comets and asteroids. ◇ Meteorites that consist mostly of silicates are called stony meteorites and are classified as either chondrites or achondrites. ◇ Meteorites that consist mostly of iron are called iron meteorites. ◇ Meteorites that consist of a mixture of silicates and iron are called stony-iron meteorites.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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