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meteoritemore about meteorite

meteorite


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Meteorite  \Me"te*or*ite\,  n.  [Cf.  F.  m['e]t['e]orite.]  (Min.) 
  A  mass  of  stone  or  iron  which  has  fallen  to  the  earth  from 
  space;  an  a["e]rolite. 
 
  Note:  Meteorites  usually  show  a  pitted  surface  with  a  fused 
  crust,  caused  by  the  heat  developed  in  their  rapid 
  passage  through  the  earth's  atmosphere.  A  meteorite  may 
  consist:  1.  Of  metallic  iron,  alloyed  with  a  small 
  percentage  of  nickel  (meteoric  iron,  holosiderite). 
  When  etched  this  usually  exhibits  peculiar  crystalline 
  figures,  called  Widmanst["a]tten  figures.  2.  Of  a 
  cellular  mass  of  iron  with  imbedded  silicates 
  (mesosiderite  or  siderolite).  3.  Of  a  stony  mass  of 
  silicates  with  little  iron  (meteoric  stone, 
  sporadosiderite).  4.  Of  a  mass  without  iron 
  (asiderite). 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  meteorite 
  n  :  stony  or  metallic  object  that  is  the  remains  of  a  meteoroid 
  that  has  reached  the  earth's  surface 




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