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
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April 21 to 22: Lyrid meteor shower Coming after a few months of relative quiet, as far as shooting stars are concerned, the Lyrids each year kick off a series of meteor showers that stretches throughout the late spring, summer, fall and early winter. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024 Meanwhile, those in rural areas of northern Spain will have an excellent chance of seeing the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower, which produces about 100 shooting stars. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024 His remains would orbit space for years before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere as a shooting star, according to the organization’s website. Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2025 Meteor showers, or shooting stars, happen when Earth’s orbital path crosses a path of debris left by a comet and that material burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Gretchen Rundorff, WIRED, 2 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shooting star

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shooting star was in 1593

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Cite this Entry

“Shooting star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shooting%20star. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

shooting star

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

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