Meaning & use
asteroid
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A small, rocky body that orbits the sun, smaller than a planet.
Grammar: Countable; use 'an asteroid' or 'asteroids'.
Patterns
- an asteroid orbits something
- an asteroid hits something
- a belt of asteroids
Scientists track asteroids that come close to Earth.
The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter.
A large asteroid may have caused the dinosaurs' extinction.
Word forms
| plural | asteroids |
|---|
Common combinations
- asteroid belt
- The asteroid belt contains millions of rocky objects.
- asteroid impact
- The asteroid impact left a huge crater.
- near-Earth asteroid
- NASA monitors near-Earth asteroids for potential threats.
- asteroid mining
- Some companies are exploring asteroid mining for rare metals.
Synonyms and how they differ
- minor planet
- A more formal term for the same objects, often used in scientific contexts.
- planetoid
- Similar in meaning but less common; it can also refer to larger bodies.
Word family
- asteroidal adjective
- Relating to asteroids.
Commonly confused: asteroid or comet? asteroid or meteor?
asteroid vs comet
A comet is made mostly of ice and dust and forms a tail when near the sun; an asteroid is rocky and metallic.
asteroid vs meteor
A meteor is the streak of light seen when a space rock burns up in Earth's atmosphere; an asteroid is the object in space.
Practice
Most asteroids in our solar system are found in the ______ belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Choose one answer.
'Asteroid belt' is the correct term for the region where many rocky bodies orbit. 'Comet' and 'meteor' refer to different types of objects, and 'planet' does not fit the context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “asteroid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.