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A.Word.A.Daywith Anu Garg
1. Relating to a meteor or a meteorite.
2. Resembling a meteor in speed, brilliance, suddenness, or transience.
3. Coming from the atmosphere (used to describe water); meteorological.
From Old French meteore, from Latin meteorum, from Greek meteoron (raised in the air), from meta- (among) + aeirein (to raise). Ultimately from the Indo-European root wer- (to raise), which also gave us air, aura, aorta, artery, and arterious. Earliest documented use: 1612.
“Despite his meteoric climb up the corporate ladder, there was something missing for Anderson.”
Brad Davidson; Gamble of His Life; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Jul 11, 2015.
In the above mixed metaphor, visualize the image of a meteor climbing a ladder, one rung a time. At any rate, ever wondered why we talk about a ‘meteoric rise’ when meteors always come down?
See more usage examples of meteoric in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899)