What is a small, rocky body that orbits the Sun referred to as?

A small, rocky body that orbits the Sun is referred to as an asteroid. Asteroids are primarily found in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, though they can exist throughout the solar system. These bodies are remnants from the early solar system, made up of materials that never coalesced into larger planets.

Comets, on the other hand, are composed mostly of ice and dust, and they tend to have elongated orbits that take them far from the Sun before returning. Planets are larger celestial bodies that orbit the Sun and have cleared their orbits of other debris. Meteors refer to the streaks of light produced when a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, burning up due to friction with the air, and do not refer to the body itself in orbit. Understanding the definitions and characteristics of these different solar system bodies helps clarify why asteroids are identified as small, rocky objects in orbit around the Sun.