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
Examples of impactor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Asteroid:Small 'imminent impactor' asteroid targeting Earth expected to produce 'nice fireball'
Another asteroid to fly by Earth
Another asteroid, known as 2020 XR, was due to fly by Earth Wednesday, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024
The first imminent impactor this year was a 3.3-foot-wide rock named 2024 BX1, which burned up over Berlin in January, followed by 2024 RW1 over the Philippines on September 4 and 2024 UQ over Hawaii on October 22, which had only been spotted two hours before its arrival.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
The Chicxulub impactor struck a carbonate platform on Earth, which released sulfur into the atmosphere.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
Even so, these are early days in finding such impactors.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
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Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024
The first imminent impactor this year was a 3.3-foot-wide rock named 2024 BX1, which burned up over Berlin in January, followed by 2024 RW1 over the Philippines on September 4 and 2024 UQ over Hawaii on October 22, which had only been spotted two hours before its arrival.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
The Chicxulub impactor struck a carbonate platform on Earth, which released sulfur into the atmosphere.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
Even so, these are early days in finding such impactors.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impactor
Dictionary Entries Near impactor
Cite this Entry
“Impactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impactor. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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