meteor English · revision 970

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈmiːtɪ.ə/, /ˈmiːtɪɔː/ ''(UK)''; /ˈmi.tiɚ/, /ˈmi.tioɹ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|metheour]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) [[bor|frm|météore]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|la-med|meteōrum]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|μετέωρον|tr=metéōron|t=thing high up; celestial phenomenon]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) the neuter of ''metéōros'' “raised high in the air”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''meta-'' and ''-aoros'' “lifted”, related to ''aeírein'' “to lift”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Any atmospheric phenomenon (1471).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Atmospheric phenomena were formerly classed as aerial meteors (winds), aqueous meteors (rain, snow, hail), luminous meteors (rainbows, aurora) and igneous meteors (lightning, shooting stars).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The modern spelling appeared in 1576,^(Barnhart 1995) and the specific sense of a fiery streak in the sky, a shooting star, is from the 1590s.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The older general sense survives in [[meteorology]].^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) Figuratively a meteor is someone or something that rises to fame with spectacular speed.^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1471 – any atmospheric phenomenon.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1576 – the spelling ''meteor''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1590 – a shooting star; figurative use.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1631 – ''meteoric'', lofty.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1834 – ''meteorite''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A bright streak of light in the sky produced when a [[meteoroid]] is heated to incandescence by friction with the Earth's [[atmosphere]]; a [[shooting star]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A meteoroid that has entered the Earth's atmosphere.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # A person or thing that rises to prominence with spectacular speed.^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formerly)'' Any atmospheric phenomenon, such as hail or lightning.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[meteoric]]

+ * [[meteorite]]

+ * [[meteoritics]]

+ * [[meteoroid]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[meteorology]]

+ * [[comet]]

+ * [[asteroid]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Wiktionary notes that a ''meteor'' should not be confused with the ''[[meteoroid]]'' that causes it, the ''[[meteorite]]'' that may reach the ground, or with an [[asteroid]] or [[comet]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}