A streak of light in the sky at night that results when a meteoroid hits the earth's atmosphere and air friction causes the meteoroid to melt or vaporize or explode.

synonym: meteor.

Roget 318: world, creation, nature, universe; earth, globe, wide world; cosmos; kosmos^†; terraqueous globe^†, sphere; macrocosm, megacosm^†; music of the spheres.    heavens, sky, welkin^†, empyrean; starry cope, starry heaven, starry host; firmament; Midgard; supersensible regions^†; varuna; vault of heaven, canopy of heaven; celestial spaces.    heavenly bodies, stars, asteroids; nebulae; galaxy, milky way, galactic circle, via lactea [Lat.], ame no kawa [Jap.].    sun, orb of day, Apollo^†, Phoebus; photosphere, chromosphere; solar system; planet, planetoid; comet; satellite, moon, orb of night, Diana, silver-footed queen; aerolite^†, meteor; planetary ring; falling star, shooting star; meteorite, uranolite^†.    constellation, zodiac, signs of the zodiac, Charles's wain, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Great Bear, Southern Cross, Orion's belt, Cassiopea's chair, Pleiades.    colures^†, equator, ecliptic, orbit.    [Science of heavenly bodies] astronomy; uranography, uranology^†; cosmology, cosmography^†, cosmogony; eidouranion^†, orrery; geodesy etc. (measurement) 466; star gazing, star gazer^†; astronomer; observatory; planetarium.    ... show more

Roget 423: luminary; light etc. 420; flame etc. (fire) 382.    spark, scintilla; phosphorescence, fluorescence.    sun, orb of day, Phoebus, Apollo^†, Aurora; star, orb; meteor, falling star, shooting star; blazing star, dog star, Sirius; canicula, Aldebaran^†; constellation, galaxy; zodiacal light; anthelion^†; day star, morning star; Lucifer; mock sun, parhelion; phosphor, phosphorus; sun dog^†; Venus.    aurora, polar lights; northern lights, aurora borealis; southern lights, aurora australis.    lightning; chain lightning, fork lightning, sheet lightning, summer lightning; ball lightning, kugelblitz [G.]; [chemical substances giving off light without burning] phosphorus, yellow phosphorus; scintillator, phosphor; firefly luminescence.    ignis fatuus [Lat.]; Jack o'lantern, Friar's lantern; will-o'-the-wisp, firedrake^†, Fata Morgana [Lat.]; Saint Elmo's fire.    [luminous insects] glowworm, firefly, June bug, lightning bug.    [luminous fish] anglerfish.    [Artificial light] gas; gas light, lime light, lantern, lanthorn^†; dark lantern, bull's-eye; candle, bougie [Fr.], taper, rushlight; oil etc. (grease) 356; wick, burner; Argand^†, moderator, duplex; torch, flambeau, link, brand; gaselier^†, chandelier, electrolier^†, candelabrum, candelabra, girandole^†, sconce, luster, candlestick.    [non-combustion based light sources] lamp, light; incandescent lamp, tungsten bulb, light bulb; flashlight, torch [Brit.]; arc light; laser; [microwave radiation]; maser neon bulb, neon sign; fluorescent lamp.    [parts of a light bulb] filament; socket; contacts; filler gas.    firework, fizgig^†; pyrotechnics; rocket, lighthouse etc. (signal) 550.    ... show more

Dutch: meteoriet, vallende ster, meteoor
Polish: meteor