impactor

noun

im·​pac·​tor im-ˈpak-tər How to pronounce impactor (audio)
variants or impacter
1
: a machine (such as a steam or air hammer or a pile driver) or part that operates by striking blows
2
: meteorite

Examples of impactor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Specifically, it is designed to absorb impacts from tiny impactors without creating more debris of its own. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 This object was significantly more massive than most natural lunar impactors, but was also moving much more slowly, the study said. — Miles Doran, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 That shape revealed the impactor's identity — the upper stage of the Long March 3C rocket that sent China's uncrewed Chang'e 5-T1 mission around the moon in October 2014. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026 But, especially when an impactor is big, most of it propagates into the mantle below. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for impactor

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impactor was in 1872

Rhymes for impactor

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Browse Nearby Words

impactive
impactor
impact parameter
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Cite this Entry

“Impactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impactor. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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