impactor

noun

im·​pac·​tor im-ˈpak-tər 

variants or impacter

1

: a machine (such as a steam or air hammer or a pile driver) or part that operates by striking blows

2

: meteorite

Examples of impactor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Jezero impactor hit about the same time that life first formed on Earth and when liquid water was stable on the Martian surface. —Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025

Our planet bears the scars of countless ancient asteroid strikes, the largest of which — such as the Chicxulub impactor — triggered the extinction of countless species, irrevocably altering the evolutionary trajectory of life on Earth. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 30 June 2025

The Jump Kit gives the player an electromagnetic charge impactor, which sends a wave of electricity at a group of Hiss. —Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025

Most dinosaurs had just been wiped out by the Chicxulub impactor. —Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 26 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for impactor

• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• protractor
• reactor
• redactor
• refractor
• retractor