Perseid

American

[pur-see-id] / ˈpɜr si ɪd /

noun

Astronomy.

any of a shower of meteors appearing in August and radiating from a point in the constellation Perseus.

Perseid British

/ ˈpɜːsɪɪd /

noun

any member of a meteor shower occurring annually around August 12th and appearing to radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Perseid

First recorded in 1870–75; Perseus ( def. ) + -id ¹ ( def. ); modeled on Italian Perseidi (plural), a term coined or used by Giovanni Schiaparelli ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Next best thing: Meteors flaming across the sky during the August 12-13 Perseid shower peak promise the brightest show in years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The Perseid meteor shower will peak next week.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2025

Stargazers can cross their fingers for more fireballs, a phenomenon that the Perseid shower is known for, according to NASA.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2025

Stargazers in the UK can look forward to a spectacular celestial treat over the next five weeks as the Perseid meteor shower streaks across the night sky.

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2025

The Perseid Meteor shower commonly peaks in early August.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023