asteroid

See also: Asteroid

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: ăs'tə-roid", IPA(key): /ˈæst(ə)ɹɔɪd/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Homophone: astroid (one pronunciation)
  • Rhymes: -ɔɪd

Etymology 1

The asteroid 243 Ida

Introduced by German–British astronomer William Herschel in 1802 upon the suggestion of classical scholar Charles Burney Jr. (1757–1817), the son of music historian Charles Burney, a friend of Herschel's.[1][2] Probably coined as a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀστεροειδής (asteroeidḗs, “starlike”),[3] from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “celestial body”) +‎ -ειδής (-eidḗs, adjective-forming suffix). By surface analysis, aster +‎ -oid.

Noun

asteroid (plural asteroids)

  2. (astronomy) A naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and a dwarf planet, larger than a meteoroid and not a comet, that orbits a star and often has an irregular shape.
  3. (astronomy) In the Solar System, such a body that orbits within the orbit of Jupiter.
    • 2007, Hannu Karttunen et al., editors, Fundamental Astronomy, 5th edition, page 131:
      The orbital planes of asteroids, minor bodies that circle the Sun mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, are often more tilted ...
Usage notes
  • The term "asteroid" has never been precisely defined. It was coined for objects which looked like stars in a telescope but moved like planets. These were known from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and were later found co-orbiting with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids) and within the orbit of Mars. They were naturally distinguished from comets, which did not look at all starlike. Starting in the 1970s, small non-cometary bodies were found outside the orbit of Jupiter, and usage became divided as to whether to call these "asteroids" as well. Some astronomers restrict the term "asteroid" to rocky or rocky-icy bodies with orbits up to Jupiter. They may retain the term planetoid for all small bodies, and thus tend to use it for icy or rocky-icy bodies beyond Jupiter, or may use dedicated words such as centaurs, Kuiper belt objects, transneptunian objects, etc. for the latter. Other astronomers use "asteroid" for all non-cometary bodies smaller than a planet, even large ones such as Sedna and (occasionally) Pluto. However, the distinction between asteroid and comet is an artificial one; many outer "asteroids" would become comets if they ventured nearer the Sun. The IAU terminology since 2006 has been small Solar System body for any body that orbits the Sun directly and whose shape is not dominated by gravity.
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀστεροειδής (asteroeidḗs), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”) + εἶδος (eîdos, “form”). Analyzable as aster- +‎ -oid. Piecewise doublet of etymology 1. Compare also the botanical taxon Asteroideae.

Noun

asteroid (plural asteroids)

  2. (zoology) Any member of the taxonomic class Asteroidea; a starfish.

References

  1. ^ Rose Eveleth (10 October 2013), “Where Did the Word Asteroid Really Come From?”, in Smithsonian Magazine‎[1], archived from the original on 10 June 2026
  2. ^ “asteroid”, in Merriam-Webster Online, Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1996–present.
  3. ^ “asteroid, adj. & n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Further reading

Anagrams

Czech

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈastɛroɪt]

Noun

asteroid m inan

  1. asteroid

Declension

Declension of asteroid (hard masculine inanimate)
singular plural
nominative asteroid asteroidy
genitive asteroidu asteroidů
dative asteroidu asteroidům
accusative asteroid asteroidy
vocative asteroide asteroidy
locative asteroidu asteroidech
instrumental asteroidem asteroidy

See also

Further reading

Estonian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɑsteˈroi̯d̥/, [ɑsteˈroi̯d̥], /ˈɑsteroi̯d̥/, [ˈɑsteˌroi̯d̥]

Noun

asteroid (genitive asteroidi, partitive asteroidi)

  1. asteroid

Declension

Declension of asteroid (ÕS type 22e/riik, length gradation)
singular plural
nominative asteroid asteroidid
accusative nom.
gen. asteroidi
genitive asteroidide
partitive asteroidi asteroide
asteroidisid
illative asteroidi
asteroidisse 		asteroididesse
asteroidesse
inessive asteroidis asteroidides
asteroides
elative asteroidist asteroididest
asteroidest
allative asteroidile asteroididele
asteroidele
adessive asteroidil asteroididel
asteroidel
ablative asteroidilt asteroididelt
asteroidelt
translative asteroidiks asteroidideks
asteroideks
terminative asteroidini asteroidideni
essive asteroidina asteroididena
abessive asteroidita asteroidideta
comitative asteroidiga asteroididega

Further reading

  • “asteroid”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009

Indonesian

Etymology

From English asteroid.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [asteˈroɪt̚]
  • Hyphenation: as‧té‧ro‧id

Noun

astéroid (plural asteroid-asteroid)

  1. (astronomy) asteroid
    Synonym: planetoid

Further reading

Polish

Etymology

    See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /asˈtɛ.rɔjt/
    • Rhymes: -ɛrɔjt
    • Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]

    Noun

    asteroid f

    1. genitive plural of asteroida

    Romanian

    Etymology

      Borrowed from French astéroïde.

      Noun

      asteroid m (plural asteroizi)

      1. asteroid

      Declension

      singular plural
      indefinite definite indefinite definite
      nominative-accusative asteroid asteroidul asteroizi asteroizii
      genitive-dative asteroid asteroidului asteroizi asteroizilor
      vocative asteroidule asteroizilor

      Further reading

      Serbo-Croatian

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /asterǒiːd/

      Noun

      asteròīd m inan (Cyrillic spelling астеро̀ӣд)

      1. asteroid

      Declension

      Declension of asteroid
      singular plural
      nominative asteròīd asteroidi
      genitive asteroída asteroida
      dative asteroidu asteroidima
      accusative asteroid asteroide
      vocative asteroide asteroidi
      locative asteroidu asteroidima
      instrumental asteroidom asteroidima

      Further reading

      • “asteroid”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

      Slovene

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /astɛrɔíːt/

      Noun

      asteroȋd m inan

      1. asteroid

      Declension

      Unknown tone or non-tonal
      		 The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.
      Masculine inan., hard o-stem
      nom. sing. asteroȋd
      gen. sing. asteroȋda
      singular dual plural
      nominative
      (imenovȃlnik)       		asteroȋd asteroȋda asteroȋdi
      genitive
      (rodȋlnik)       		asteroȋda asteroȋdov asteroȋdov
      dative
      (dajȃlnik)       		asteroȋdu asteroȋdoma asteroȋdom
      accusative
      (tožȋlnik)       		asteroȋd asteroȋda asteroȋde
      locative
      (mẹ̑stnik)       		asteroȋdu asteroȋdih asteroȋdih
      instrumental
      (orọ̑dnik)       		asteroȋdom asteroȋdoma asteroȋdi

      Further reading

      • “asteroid”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran
      • “asteroid”, in Termania, Amebis
      • See also the general references

      Swedish

      Pronunciation

      • Rhymes: -iːd

      Noun

      asteroid c

      1. asteroid

      Declension

      Declension of asteroid
      nominative genitive
      singular indefinite asteroid asteroids
      definite asteroiden asteroidens
      plural indefinite asteroider asteroiders
      definite asteroiderna asteroidernas
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