noun
- small rocky or metallic bodies in outer space that orbit the sun
Usage: astronomy
Examples
- Meteoroids are fragments of asteroids or comets floating through space.
- When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere, they become meteors.
- Most meteoroids are smaller than a grain of sand.
- Scientists study meteoroids to learn about the solar system’s formation.
- The spacecraft was designed to withstand impacts from small meteoroids.
- Meteoroids that survive atmospheric entry and reach the ground are called meteorites.