comet

noun

com·​et ˈkä-mət 

: a celestial body that appears as a fuzzy head usually surrounding a bright nucleus, that has a usually highly eccentric orbit, that consists primarily of ice and dust, and that often develops one or more long tails when near the sun

cometary

ˈkä-mə-ˌter-ē 

adjective

cometic

kə-ˈme-tik 

kä-

adjective

Examples of comet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like every Twain biographer, Chernow mentions Twain’s anecdote about being born when Halley’s comet brightened the sky. —Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2025

Most meteor showers are the result of Earth passing through debris left by comets, explains NASA. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 May 2025

Here's how and when to catch one of nature's most spectacular light shows, courtesy of Halley's comet. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 5 May 2025

And that backward tracing can help reveal which comet likely shed the meteoroid material in the first place. —Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English comete, from Old English cometa, from Latin, from Greek komētēs, literally, long-haired, from koman to wear long hair, from komē hair

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for comet

• grommet
• vomit
• recommit

Kids Definition

comet

noun

com·​et ˈkäm-ət 

: a bright heavenly body that develops a cloudy tail as it moves closer to the sun in its orbit

Etymology

Old English cometa "comet," from Latin cometa (same meaning), from Greek komētēs, literally, "long-haired," derived from komē "hair" — related to coma entry 2