Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
Asti Spumante
astigmatism
astilbe
astir
astonish
astonished
astonishment
Astoria
astound
astounded
astr-
astraddle
astragal
astragalus
astrakhan
astral
astral body
Click to move down the list of words
Also available:

World English Dictionary
Dictionnaire Français

asteroid

as·ter·oid [ ástə ròyd ] (plural as·ter·oids)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. rocky object orbiting Sun: an irregularly shaped rock that orbits the Sun, mostly occurring in a band asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids range in size from the largest, Pallas, with a diameter of 480 km (300 mi), down to dust particles.

2. zoology  ( technical )
Same as  starfish


[Early 19th century. < Greek asteroeidēs "starlike" < astēr "star"]

as·ter·oid·al [ àstə róyd'l ] adjective
Advertisement

© 2009 Microsoft