comet

The comet Hale–Bopp in the night sky.

Meaning

A celestial body consisting mainly of ice, dust and gas in a (usually very eccentric) orbit around the Sun and having a "tail" of matter blown back from it by the solar wind as it approaches the Sun.
A celestial phenomenon with the appearance given by the orbiting celestial body.
Any of several species of hummingbird found in the Andes.

From Middle English comete, partly from Old English comēta and partly from Old French comete, both from Latin comētēs, from Ancient Greek κομήτης, short for ἀστὴρ κομήτης ([astēr] komētēs, "longhaired [star])" and referring to the tail of a comet, from κόμη. Compare English faxed star.

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