In everyday English a meteor is a shooting star: a bright line you see for a second in the night sky. What you are seeing is a bit of rock or metal from space heating and glowing as it tears through the air.

In everyday English在日常英文裡，a meteor meteor就是 is a shooting star流星：a bright line you see for a second in the night sky你在夜空中看到、一閃即逝的一道亮線。What you are seeing你看到的東西 is a bit of rock or metal from space其實是一小塊來自太空的岩石或金屬，heating and glowing as it tears through the air在撕裂大氣層時發熱發光。

People often use meteor for the object itself, and tidy school sentences do that too — though actually scientists split the names. Out in space, before it hits our air, they call the bit a meteoroid. The light show is the meteor. If a piece survives and lands, that piece is a meteorite.

People大家 often use常常把meteor這個字 meteor for the object itself用來指那個物體本身，and tidy school sentences do that too工整的課本句子也是這樣寫——though actually不過其實 scientists split the names科學家把名稱分開來用。Out in space在太空中，before it hits our air在撞上我們的大氣層之前，they call the bit他們把那一小塊 a meteoroid稱作流星體。The light show這場光的表演 is the meteor才是meteor流星。If a piece survives and lands如果有一塊撐過去、落到地面，that piece那一塊 is a meteorite就叫隕石。

Older English used meteor for almost any happening in the sky, even weather; that wider sense is why meteorology is the study of weather, not of shooting stars.

Older English早期的英文 used meteor把meteor用 for almost any happening in the sky來指天空中幾乎任何現象，even weather甚至天氣也算；that wider sense這個更廣的意思 is why meteorology is the study of weather就是為什麼meteorology氣象學是研究天氣，not of shooting stars而不是研究流星的原因。

Today, if someone says meteor, they almost always mean the streak, or loosely the space rock. It is a common news-and-school word.

Today今天，if someone says meteor如果有人說meteor，they almost always mean the streak他們幾乎都是指那道光streak，or loosely the space rock或是鬆散地指那塊太空岩石。It它 is a common news-and-school word是新聞和學校裡常見的字。