Asteroid Meaning
/ˈæst(ə)ɹɔɪd/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA 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.
nounIn the Solar System, such a body that orbits within the orbit of Jupiter.
Sentence Examples
The asteroid broke up into small pieces as it entered Earth's atmosphere.
A rogue asteroid from the Kuiper Belt is on a collision course with the Earth.
An asteroid passed close to Earth on Saturday.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The massive ____ passed close to Earth last night, but NASA confirmed it posed no collision threat.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The large ____ passed through the solar system at a very high speed.
Word Origin & History
]Introuced 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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The massive ____ passed close to Earth last night, but NASA confirmed it posed no collision threat.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The large ____ passed through the solar system at a very high speed.