Ablation         Surface melting during transit through the atmosphere

Accretion        The gradual accumulation of material through the collision of
                  particles in the solar nebula

Achondrites      Stone meteorites that do not contain visible chondrules

Amino acid       Large organic molecule; building block of protein

Amphoterite      Obsolete name for LL (low-low iron content) chondrites

Anomalous        Highly unusual, unique, un-categorized

Asteroid         An interplanetary body, of varying size, not with a fixed orbit

Ataxite          High-nickel content iron meteorite showing no Widmanstatten 
                  pattern when etched

Breccia          Composed of broken rock fragments

Bronzite         A silicate mineral with associated iron content between
                  10% and 20% (Mg,Fe)2Si2O6

Carbonado        Carbon that has metamorphosed into diamond but is black

Chondrites       Stone meteorites that contain chondrules

Chondrules       Small spheres of silicaceous minerals associated with
                  early formation of the solar system

Enstatite        Silicate mineral w/ associated iron content 10% or less;
                  either chondrite or achondrite

Eucrite          Class of stone meteorite consisting of Ca-pyroxene and
                  plagioclase achondrite

Fall             Witnessed event of meteorite-dropping fireball

Find             A found piece without associated witnessing of the event

Fusion Crust     The melted glassy exterior formed during passage through
                  the atmosphere - due to intense heat

Gram             Metric unit of measure; 453.6 grams in a pound

Hematite         Oxidized iron ore

Hexahedrite      6-sided crystal structure found in low nickel-iron meteorites 

Hypersthene      A silica mineral with associated iron content of between
                  20% and 30% (Mg,Fe)2SiO3

Inclusions       Mineral grains that once existed separately, but now form an
                  aggregate 

Interstellar grains  Solid grains of material produced and ejected by massive stars

IRANOM           Anomalous Iron (see anomalous)

Kamacite         Nickel-iron alloy (7wt%) phase with body-centered cubic
                  structure

Limonite         Oxidized iron; rust

Lodranite        Refers to only the silicated portions of silicated irons -
                  Archaic term

Matrix           Base material, surrounding material

Mesosiderite     A class of meteorite; partly stone, partly nickel iron in a 
                  melded mixture

Metamorphism     The recrystallization of minerals in either a meteorite or
                  terresterial rock as a result of heat and pressure resulting
                  in the destruction of the original texture 

Meteor           A meteoroid that has entered Earth's atmosphere

Meteorite        The remnants of a meteor after it has impacted Earth

Meteoroid        Object in space; similar to but smaller than an asteroid

Newmann Lines    Fine striations seen in some low nickel-iron meteorites

Octahedrite      Eight-sided crystal structure found in nickel-iron meteorites

Olivine          A silicate mineral with the general formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4

Pallasite        Stony-iron meteorites containing crystals of olivine

Parent Body      Natural astronomical bodies of sub-planetary to planetary size
                  that fragment by collision to produce meteorites

Plagioclase      Triclinic mineral with general chemical composition Al2Si2O8

Pyroxene         One of a number of SiO4 silicate minerals found in meteorites

Regmaglypt       Pattern of "Thumbprint" depressions in the surface of 
                  meteorites produced by ablation of certain minerals in the
                  meteorite as it passes through Earth's atmosphere

Regolith         Layer of loose irregular rock crust on mantle

Regolith Breccia Compacted, layered regolith structure

Schreibersite    A phosphide mineral with the formula (Fe,Ni)3P

Silicate         Glassy or stony component made up primarily of silicon

SNC              A rare class of meteorite believed to be of Martian origin -
                  the initials are derived from the names of the first 3 falls

Solar Nebula     The primitive disk-shaped cloud of dust and gas from which
                  All bodies of the solar system originated

Strewn field     The area over which a meteorite has fallen

Sulfide	         Sulfur-containing, as in sulfur-oxide

Taenite          Nickel-iron alloy without a cubic structure

Troilite         Stoichiometric iron sulfide, FeS

Ureilite         Carbon-rich achondrite meteorites with olivine and pigeonite

Widmanstatten    A crystalline pattern seen in iron meteorites after acid
                  etching - named for its discoverer

Glossary taken from Catalogues from the New England Meteoritical Services,
 and Robert A Haag Meteorites.