Meteorwrong

Quick meaning: Meteorwrong is a noun meaning (humorous) A rock that is believed to be a meteorite, but is in fact terrestrial in origin; a pseudometeorite.

Meaning

(humorous) A rock that is believed to be a meteorite, but is in fact terrestrial in origin; a pseudometeorite.

Example Sentences

Unfortunately, the object turned out to be only a “meteorwrong”—although a deceptive one.

Vastly more meteorwrongs are found than meteorites. This should be no surprise. A host of Earth objects—natural and manmade—do indeed look like meteorites, and they are just waiting to be found and to confuse you.

A scarlet precipitate (C₈H₁₄N₄O₄Ni) will be present if nickel is present. A negative test for nickel means you have a "meteorwrong." A positive test may indicate you have a meteorite, but since there are many commercial nickel-iron alloys it is not a conclusive test.

Those who work in the field looking for meteorites keep a magnet with them at all times. This is always the first test; if the meteorite suspect is not magnetic, it is a "meteorwrong." Good collectors learn very quickly how to identify meteorwrongs since what may be represented as a very rare stone meteorite (at $200 a gram!) could turn out to be an expensive piece of junk. The classic meteorwrong is an igneous rock known as a Cumberlandite.

Word Forms

• meteorwrongs
• meteorong

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include pseudometeorite, meteorite, meteorolite, metasomatite, meteoriticist, meteorist.

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