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

Indeed, most of Earth's asteroidal incursions took place hundreds of millions of years earlier than the Chicxulub impactor that hit Earth some 66 million years ago. —Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Speaking of the Jump Kit, if the Fix Kit player is predisposed with enemies or another task, the impactor’s electric shock can also repair machines in a pinch. —Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025

Strikes like these have shaped Earth in numerous ways, including the Chicxulub impactor that led to the fifth mass extinction event, or strikes that brought vital elements like minerals and water to Earth. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025

Vredefort Crater The Sudbury Comet, while massive, lost out on the scales to the Vredefort impactor. —Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 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