# meteor

/ˈmitiɝ/ (US) · /mˈiːtɪɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/meteor
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. shooting star

noun · CEFR B2

a bright streak of light in the night sky caused by a piece of space rock burning up in the atmosphere.

For teachers: the visible streak of light produced by a meteoroid heating up as it enters a planetary atmosphere.

- We sat on the grass for hours watching the meteor shower.
- The friction of the atmosphere causes the meteor to vaporise, creating a brilliant trail that is visible from the ground for several seconds.

### 2. brief success

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a person or thing that becomes very famous or successful very quickly but only for a short time.

For teachers: a person or entity that achieves sudden, brilliant, but transient success or fame.

- The young singer was a meteor who disappeared from the charts after one hit.
- His political career was something of a meteor; he rose to the cabinet within a year only to resign in scandal months later.

### 3. to move fast

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to move at a very high speed.

For teachers: to move with great speed or momentum, often in a sudden or uncontrolled manner.

- The race car meteored past the finish line.
- The experimental aircraft meteored across the desert sky, leaving a thin white trail against the deep blue of the afternoon.

Usage: The verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.

## Examples

- We saw a bright meteor in the night sky.
- The meteor shower peaked at midnight, drawing crowds to the dark fields.
- While the meteor itself disintegrated in the upper atmosphere, the resulting shockwave was felt by residents miles away.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.