achondrite

noun

achon·​drite (ˌ)ā-ˈkän-ˌdrīt How to pronounce achondrite (audio)
: a stony meteorite without rounded grains
achondritic adjective

Examples of achondrite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Newcombe and her co-authors found that the melting process stripped achondrites of their moisture, like baking cookie dough. Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 25 June 2023 Anywhere from 10 to 29 percent of these were a type of achondrite that likely resulted from a massive collision on Vesta, the second-largest asteroid in the solar system at over 300 miles in diameter. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2017 On the other hand, achondrites were produced by melting of their parent bodies. Perry A. Farrell, Detroit Free Press, 17 Jan. 2018 Although most achondrites are fragments of asteroids, a few come from the moon or Mars. Perry A. Farrell, Detroit Free Press, 17 Jan. 2018

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from German Achondrite, from a- a- entry 2 + Chondrite chondrite

First Known Use

circa 1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of achondrite was circa 1904

Dictionary Entries Near achondrite

Cite this Entry

“Achondrite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/achondrite. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on achondrite

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!