Asteroid Definition

ăstə-roid

asteroidal, asteroids

noun

asteroids

Any of numerous small solar system bodies that revolve around the sun, with orbits lying chiefly between Mars and Jupiter and characteristic diameters roughly between one and several hundred kilometers.

American Heritage

Any of the thousands of relatively small, irregularly shaped objects orbiting the sun typically between Mars and Jupiter.

Webster's New World

Starfish.

Webster's New World

(astronomy) A naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and is not a comet, that orbits a star.

Wiktionary

(astronomy) In the Solar system, such a body that orbits within the orbit of Jupiter.

Wiktionary

adjective

Star-shaped.

American Heritage

Starlike; shaped like a star or starfish.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
star-shaped

Other Word Forms of Asteroid

Noun

Singular:

asteroid

Plural:

asteroids

Origin of Asteroid

From Greek asteroeidēs starlike astēr star ster-³ in Indo-European roots -oeidēs -oid

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀστεροειδής (asteroeidēs), from ἀστήρ (astēr, “star”) + εἶδος (eidos, “form”).

From Wiktionary