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

The comet Lovejoy, which reached its perihelion in Dec. 2011, remains the only Kreutz Path comet to have survived its brush with the sun. —Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024

For space enthusiasts:James Webb Space Telescope reveals Milky Way stars being born Where is the Atlas comet 2024? —Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024

Named after the German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who first studied them in the 19th century, these comets are thought to be fragments of a single large comet that broke apart several centuries ago. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Fortunately, the Halloween comet has potential to be spotted with the naked eye. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024

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

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