Meteoroid (noun)

1. A small rocky or metallic body that travels through space and may enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up, producing a meteor.
2. A small solid object in space, especially one that is not a planet or moon.

Origin:

Derived from the greek word 'meteoron', meaning 'something in the air or high in the sky'.

Examples:

1. The meteoroid was seen blazing across the night sky.
2. Scientists study meteoroids to learn more about the formation of our solar system.
3. The meteorite is believed to be a fragment of a larger meteoroid that broke apart during its descent through the Earth's atmosphere.
4. Many meteoroids are small enough to burn up completely upon entering the Earth's atmosphere.
5. The meteoroid strike caused a bright flash of light, followed by a sonic boom that shook the ground.