指太陽系中環繞太陽運行的小型岩石天體，也指海星等棘皮動物的形狀。
天文學
EN: A small rocky body orbiting the sun, mostly found between Mars and Jupiter.
翻譯: 一種繞太陽運行的小型岩石天體，主要位於火星和木星之間。
一般科學
EN: Any small celestial body resembling a planet but much smaller.
翻譯: 任何類似行星但體積小得多的天體。
動物學
EN: A star-shaped structure, such as a starfish (asteroid echinoderm).
翻譯: 星狀結構，例如海星（海星綱動物）。
小提醒：注意「asteroid」在天文學和動物學中有完全不同的意思，一個指天體，一個指海星的形狀，使用時需根據上下文區分。
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Asteroid" from YouTube Videos
Why societies collapse | Jared Diamond
TED
“Our biggest threat is not an asteroid about to crash into us, something we can do nothing about.”
1. a small rocky body orbiting the sun, mostly found between Mars and Jupiter
繞太陽運行的小型岩石天體，主要位於火星和木星之間
Ceres is the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt.
穀神星是小行星帶中最大的小行星。
Scientists track asteroids to assess potential Earth impact risks.
科學家追蹤小行星以評估其對地球的潛在撞擊風險。
2. a star-shaped structure, especially in biology (e.g., a type of cell)
星狀結構，尤指生物學中的星狀細胞
The asteroid cell is a type of glial cell found in the brain.
星狀細胞是大腦中發現的一種神經膠質細胞。
3. in video games, a destructible rocky object in space that players can mine or shoot
在電子遊戲中，指太空中可被破壞、採集或射擊的岩石物體
The player's ship mined the asteroid for valuable minerals.
玩家的飛船採集了小行星上的珍貴礦物。
Watch out for the asteroid field ahead; it's full of hazards.
小心前方的小行星帶，那裡充滿危險。
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| asteroid + verb | 小行星 + 動詞 | An asteroid is approaching Earth. (一顆小行星正在接近地球。) |
| asteroid + belt | 小行星帶 | The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter. (小行星帶位於火星和木星之間。) |
| near-Earth asteroid | 近地小行星 | Scientists are tracking a near-Earth asteroid. (科學家正在追蹤一顆近地小行星。) |
| impact of an asteroid | 小行星撞擊 | The impact of an asteroid may have caused the extinction of dinosaurs. (小行星撞擊可能導致了恐龍滅絕。) |
| orbit of an asteroid | 小行星的軌道 | The orbit of this asteroid is highly elliptical. (這顆小行星的軌道是高度橢圓形的。) |
對比例句： EN: Scientists discovered a new asteroid in the asteroid belt. 翻譯: 科學家在小行星帶發現了一顆新的小行星。
EN:Scientists study asteroids to understand the early solar system.
翻譯:科學家研究小行星以了解早期太陽系。
EN:An asteroid passed close to Earth yesterday.
翻譯:昨天有一顆小行星近距離掠過地球。
EN:The asteroid that passed Earth yesterday was about 100 meters wide.
翻譯:昨天掠過地球的那顆小行星寬約100公尺。
談論泛指概念或群體時用複數 asteroids，指特定一顆時用單數 asteroid 或 the asteroid。
asteroid vs comet
asteroid 主要由岩石和金屬構成，通常沒有明顯的彗尾；comet 則由冰、塵埃和岩石組成，接近太陽時會產生彗髮和彗尾。
asteroid vs meteoroid
asteroid 是較大的天體，直徑可達數百公里；meteoroid 是太空中較小的岩石或金屬碎片，進入大氣層後會成為 meteor（流星）。
asteroid vs dwarf planet
asteroid 形狀通常不規則，且未清除其軌道附近的其他天體；dwarf planet 則具有足夠質量呈球體，但同樣未清除軌道鄰近區域。
在對話中，當引述或轉述他人關於小行星的談話時，常會使用較口語的引述方式。 EN: He was like, "Did you see that documentary about the asteroid? It was wild." 翻譯: 他當時就說：「你有看那個關於小行星的紀錄片嗎？超誇張的。」
EN:She goes, "I'm not worried about an asteroid hitting Earth in our lifetime."
翻譯:她就說：「我才不擔心我們有生之年會有小行星撞地球呢。」
在非正式對話中，會使用一些詞語來加強對「小行星」話題的驚嘆或擔憂語氣。 EN: That asteroid was, like, seriously huge. Can you imagine? 翻譯: 那顆小行星真的是，超級巨大。你能想像嗎？
EN:It's just a tiny asteroid, no big deal.
翻譯:那不過是顆超小的小行星，沒什麼大不了的。
在思考或組織關於「小行星」的句子時，常用填充詞來緩衝。 EN: So, um, the asteroid belt is between Mars and Jupiter, right? 翻譯: 所以，嗯，小行星帶是在火星和木星之間，對吧？
EN:I think... you know... the real danger is an asteroid we haven't spotted yet.
翻譯:我覺得…你知道…真正的危險是我們還沒發現的小行星。
正式寫作注意：以上口語用法（如「他當時就說」、「真的是，超級…」、「嗯…」、「你知道…」）僅限於非正式對話或創意寫作。在學術報告、新聞文章或正式文件中描述「asteroid」時，應使用精確、客觀的語言，避免填充詞和過於隨意的引述方式。
asteroid belt
noun phrase
小行星帶
asteroid impact
noun phrase
小行星撞擊
near-Earth asteroid
noun phrase
近地小行星
asteroid mining
noun phrase
小行星採礦
asteroid deflection
noun phrase
小行星軌道偏轉
asteroid composition
noun phrase
小行星組成
asteroid sample return
noun phrase
小行星樣本返回
×An asteroid is a small star.
✓An asteroid is a small rocky body orbiting the sun.
Asteroids are not stars; they are rocky objects much smaller than planets, often called 'minor planets' or 'planetoids'.
×The asteroid will hit on Earth.
✓The asteroid will hit Earth.
The verb 'hit' is transitive and does not require the preposition 'on' when referring to a celestial body colliding with another.
×There are many asteroids in the asteroid ring.
✓There are many asteroids in the asteroid belt.
The correct astronomical term for the region between Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are found is the 'asteroid belt', not 'ring'.
×We saw an asteroid falling from the sky last night.
✓We saw a meteor (or shooting star) last night.
An 'asteroid' is in space. When it enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up, creating a streak of light, it is called a 'meteor' or 'shooting star'. If it survives and hits the ground, it is a 'meteorite'.
×The asteroid's size is very big.
✓The asteroid is very large.
Using 'size is very big' is redundant and unnatural. It's more concise and idiomatic to simply say 'The asteroid is very large' or 'The asteroid has a large size'.
×Astronomers are tracking a dangerous asteroid to the Earth.
✓Astronomers are tracking a dangerous asteroid heading toward Earth.
The phrase 'to the Earth' is awkward here. Use 'heading toward Earth', 'approaching Earth', or 'on a collision course with Earth' for natural expression.