Aerolith

/ˈɛərəlɪθ/ noun

Definition

A meteorite that falls from space; another term for aerolite, emphasizing the 'stone from the sky' origin.

Etymology

From aero- (air) + -lith (stone, from Greek lithos). This is a variant of aerolite, with -lith being an alternative Latinized suffix for stone more common in older scientific texts.

Kelly Says

The variety of names—aerolite, aerolith, meteorite—shows how scientific terminology was still being standardized in the 1800s, with scientists competing to name newly understood phenomena!

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