Meteoritics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The scientific study focused on the nature, origin, and properties of meteorites and their relation to celestial bodies
2. The branch of science dedicated to examining meteorites, their composition, and the implications for understanding planetary formation
3. A field of research that investigates meteorites to glean insights into the history and evolution of our solar system

Etymology: Meteoritics is a modern scientific coinage, built from "meteorite" plus the English suffix "-ics," which names a field of study (as in "physics" or "genetics"). The suffix itself descends from the Greek plural "-ika," a neuter plural of adjectives ending in "-ikos," so "meteoritics" literally means something like "the matters concerning meteorites." The "-ics" ending was productive in English for naming sciences and arts, and its use here follows that pattern. The base word "meteorite" is also a composite. Its ending "-ite" comes from Greek "-ites" through Latin "-ites" and French "-ite," and English used it to name stones and minerals, while "meteor" comes from Greek "meteoros," meaning "high in the air" or "lofty." A meteorite was thus, etymologically, a stone that had come down from above, and meteoritics grew up as the discipline of studying those stones.

Synonyms: meteoritics, meteoritical science, meteorite study