bolide

English
An especially bright meteor, a bolide (in astronomy)

Etymology

Borrowed from French bolide, from Latin bolis, from Ancient Greek βολίς (bolís, “missile, arrow, javelin”).

Pronunciation
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈboʊ.laɪd/, /ˈboʊ.lɪd/

Noun

bolide (plural bolides)

  1. An extremely bright meteor.
  2. Any extraterrestrial body that collides with Earth.
    • Alan Harris
      The smallest impactor that can penetrate the atmosphere deep enough to cause any damage on the ground is not much smaller than the "Tunguska" bolide that flattened a couple thousand square miles of Siberian forest in 1908.
  3. A fireball.

Derived terms

Translations
any extraterrestrial body that collides with earth
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Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Latin bolis.

Pronunciation
  • Rhymes: -id

Noun

bolide m (plural bolides)

  1. fast racing car; speedster, high-powered car
  2. (astronomy) fireball

Further reading

Italian

Etymology

From Latin bolis, from Ancient Greek βολίς (bolís, “missile, arrow, javelin”).

Noun

bolide m (plural bolidi)

  1. (astronomy) meteor
  2. (automotive) racing car

Anagrams
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