meteor; falling star; shooting star
Astronomical term for a meteor; the streak of light produced when a meteoroid enters the atmosphere. Often used in scientific or descriptive contexts. Compare with 隕石 (meteorite).
See also: 隕石 (いんせき)
Last night I saw a meteor streak across the sky.
A meteor emits light when it enters the atmosphere.
From Middle Chinese 隕星 (hwinX seng), literally 'falling star'. The kanji 隕 means 'fall' and 星 means 'star'.