comet

Etymology

Partly from Old French comete (French comète), and partly from Old English comēta, both from Latin cometes, from Ancient Greek κομήτης (komḗtēs, “longhaired”), referring to the tail of a comet, from κόμη (kómē, “hair”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: kŏm'ət, IPA^(key): /ˈkɒmət/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒmɪt

Noun

comet (plural comets)

1. (astronomy) A celestial body consisting mainly of ice, dust and gas in a (usually very eccentric) orbit around the Sun and having a "tail" of matter blown back from it by the solar wind as it approaches the Sun.
2. A celestial phenomenon with the appearance given by the orbiting celestial body.
3. Any of several species of hummingbird found in the Andes.

Anagrams

• Comte, comte

Verb

comet

1. third-person singular present indicative form of cometre
2. second-person singular imperative form of cometre

Verb

cōmet

1. third-person singular future active indicative of cōmō