Todd Walton wrote:
> On 6/23/05, Tracy R Reed <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Todd Walton wrote:
> > > There have been wildfires up near Joshua Tree National Park the past
> > > day or so. The fires were caused by meteors.
> >
> > I'm not sure if you are joking or trolling or what.
>
> No, I'm serious. I'm poking my finger in a dusty corner of the
> English language. Lightning, as has been previously pointed out, is a
> meteor.
According to the OED:
meteor
2. a. Any atmospheric or meteorological phenomenon. Originally chiefly
in pl. Now Meteorol.
Atmospheric phenomena were formerly often classed as aerial or airy
meteors (winds), aqueous or watery meteors (rain, snow, hail, dew,
etc.), luminous meteors (the aurora, rainbow, sun halo, etc.: see
sense A. 2b), and igneous or fiery meteors (lightning, shooting
stars, etc.). See quot. 1963 for the modern meteorological
classification of meteors, which are not now taken to include clouds.
Well, talk about a practically useless word. Perhaps I should go look up
``set.''
-john
--
[email protected]
http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
