— meteorlike , adj.
/mee"tee euhr, -awr'/ , n.
1. Astron.
a. a meteoroid that has entered the earth's atmosphere.
b. a transient fiery streak in the sky produced by a meteoroid passing through the earth's atmosphere; a shooting star or bolide.
2. any person or object that moves, progresses, becomes famous, etc., with spectacular speed.
3. (formerly) any atmospheric phenomenon, as hail or a typhoon.
4. ( cap. ) Mil. Britain's first operational jet fighter, a twin-engine aircraft that entered service in 1944.
[ 1570-80; meteorum metéoron meteor, a thing in the air, n. use of neut. of metéoros raised in the air, equiv. to met- MET- + eor- (var. s. of aéirein to raise) + -os adj. suffix ]