/ ˈmiːtiə(r); NAmE ; -iɔː(r)/ noun
a piece of rock from outer space that makes a bright line across the night sky as it burns up while falling through the earth's atmosphere :
a meteor shower
—see also shooting star
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (denoting any atmospheric phenomenon): from modern Latin meteorum , from Greek meteōron , neuter (used as a noun) of meteōros lofty.