shooting star

noun

1

: a visual meteor appearing as a temporary streak of light in the night sky

2

: any of several North American perennial herbs (genus Primula, especially P. meadia) of the primrose family that have entire oblong leaves and showy flowers with reflexed petals

3

: one resembling a shooting star especially in sudden and temporary brilliance

Examples of shooting star in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As Earth passes through the debris trail left by this celestial body, tiny particles enter our atmosphere at high speeds, burning up and creating bright streaks of light known as meteors or shooting stars. —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 2 Jan. 2025

The heat then vaporizes most meteors, resulting in bright streaks of light across the sky, or shooting stars. —Space.com Staff, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025

While meteors can appear to stream from this point in the sky, people should be able to see shooting stars across the entire sky without needing to gaze in a particular direction. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 31 Dec. 2024

But this year, an almost full moon will compete with the annual spectacle of shooting stars. —Jennifer Broome, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shooting star

noun

: a meteor appearing as a temporary streak of light in the night sky