asteroid Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)
  2. adjective satellite shaped like a star
    star-shaped.

WordNet

As"ter*oid noun
Etymology
Gr. starlike, starry; star + form: cf. F. astéroïde. See Aster.
Definitions
  1. A starlike body; esp. one of the numerous small planets whose orbits lie between those of Mars and Jupiter; -- called also planetoids and minor planets.

Webster 1913