An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

An → asteroid or → comet whose → orbit occasionally brings it relatively close to the Earth. → near-Earth object.

→ Earth; → grazer.

To touch or rub lightly in passing.

Perhaps special use of graze "to feed on grass," from M.E. grasen, O.E. grasian.

Barmažidan, from Choresmian parmž "to touch, to rub," variants barmajidan, majidan, parmâsidan, Mid.Pers. pahrmâh- "to touch, to feel;" ultimately from Proto-Ir. *pari-mars-, from *Hmars-, *Hmarz- "to touch, rub, wipe;" probably related to marz "border, frontier," mâlidan "to rub, polish."

A thing that grazes.

Agent noun of → graze.

A comet that passes extremely close to the Sun's → surface, in some cases within a few thousand kilometres of the Sun's surface. The Great Comet of 1965, Ikeya-Seki, was a member of the sun-grazer family, coming within about 650,000 km of the Sun's surface. Passing so close to the Sun, sun-grazers are subjected to destructive → tidal forces along with intense solar heat which can completely evaporate them during such a → close approach.

→ Sun; → grazer.