comet
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com·et
(kŏm′ĭt)n.
A celestial body, observed only in that part of its orbit that is relatively close to the sun, having a head consisting of a solid nucleus surrounded by a nebulous coma up to 2.4 million kilometers (1.5 million miles) in diameter and an elongated curved vapor tail arising from the coma when sufficiently close to the sun. Comets are thought to consist chiefly of ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, and water.
[Middle English comete, from Old English comēta, from Late Latin, from Latin comētēs, from Greek komētēs, long-haired (star), comet, from komē, hair.]
com′et·ar′y (-ĭ-tĕr′ē), co·met′ic (kə-mĕt′ĭk) adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
comet
(ˈkɒmɪt)n
(Celestial Objects) a celestial body that travels around the sun, usually in a highly elliptical orbit: thought to consist of a solid frozen nucleus part of which vaporizes on approaching the sun to form a gaseous luminous coma and a long luminous tail
[C13: from Old French comète, from Latin comēta, from Greek komētēs long-haired, from komē hair]
ˈcometary, cometic adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
com•et
(ˈkɒm ɪt)n.
a celestial body (with) a central solid mass and a tail of dust and gas and that orbits the sun along a highly eccentric course.
[1150–1200; Middle English comete < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin comētēs,comēta < Greek komḗtēs wearing long hair]
com′et•ar`y (-ɪˌtɛr i) adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
com·et
(kŏm′ĭt) A celestial object that orbits the sun along an elongated path. When close to the sun, a comet has a head made up of a gaseous coma surrounding a solid nucleus of ice, frozen gases, and dust. A long, bright stream of gas and dust forms the tail of a comet. See Note at solar system.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
comet
- Has a tail, and gets its name from Greek kometes, "long-haired star."See also related terms for tails.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
comet
A dust, gas, and ice body that orbits the Sun and develops a long, bright tail on nearing the Sun.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Noun | 1. | comet - (astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit astronomy, uranology - the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole coma - (astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the comet approaches the sun and is warmed estraterrestrial body, extraterrestrial object - a natural object existing outside the earth and outside the earth's atmosphere nucleus - (astronomy) the center of the head of a comet; consists of small solid particles of ice and frozen gas that vaporizes on approaching the sun to form the coma and tail |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
comet
nounRelated words
fear cometophobia
fear cometophobia
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
نـَجْمٌ ذُو ذَنَبنَجْمٌ مُذنَّب
комета
kometa
komet
komeetta
komet
üstökös
komet
halastjarna
彗星
혜성
cometes
kometa
komēta
kométa
komet
komet
ดาวหาง
sao chổi
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
comet
n → Komet m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
comet
(ˈkomit) noun a type of heavenly body which leaves a trail of light behind it as it moves.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
comet
→ نـَجْمٌ ذُو ذَنَب kometa komet Komet κομήτης cometa komeetta comète komet cometa 彗星 혜성 komeet komet kometa cometa комета komet ดาวหาง kuyruklu yıldız sao chổi 彗星Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009