English Explanatory Dictionary

E=mc²

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A formulation or realization that captures a profound thought in simple terms.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: E = mc²: energy equals mass times the speed of light squared.

Pronunciation

/ˈiː ˌiːkwəlz ɛm siː ˈskwɛːd/ /ˈi ˌikwəlz ɛm si ˈskwɛɹd/ En-us-E%3Dmc2.ogg

Word forms

E=mc²

Etymology

After the formula of mass–energy equivalence, an important principle discovered by the German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955). The formula entered the popular consciousness after it was included in the opening pages of the Smyth Report (1945), a widely read document that explained the United States’ nuclear weapons program to the public for the first time. Its appearance alongside a portrait of the (already well known) Einstein on a Time magazine cover the following year consolidated its fame.

Related words

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