English Explanatory Dictionary

neutron

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A subatomic particle forming part of the nucleus of an atom and having no charge; it is a combination of an up quark and two down quarks.

Pronunciation

/ˈn(j)uː.tɹɒn/ /ˈnu.tɹɑn/ en-us-neutron.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-neutron.wav

Word forms

neutron neutrons

Etymology

From neutral + -on; by surface analysis, neutr(o)- + -on. Coined by Scottish-Australian physicist William Sutherland in 1899 in a paper in the Philosophical Magazine. Subsequent usage was sporadic and theoretical, sometimes referring to neutrinos rather than neutrons, and the modern sense was reintroduced alongside proton by Ernest Rutherford in 1920.

Synonyms

n

Related words

proton p electron e neutrino

Derived words

anti-neutron antineutron delayed neutron dineutron fast-neutron reactor free neutron multineutron neutron activation analysis neutron bomb neutron capture neutron cross section neutron-degenerate matter neutron diffraction neutron drip line neutron emission neutron flux neutron halo neutronic neutronics neutron interferometer neutronium neutronization neutron matter neutron moderator neutron number neutron optics neutron poison neutron-rich neutron scattering neutron spectrometry neutron star photoneutron prompt neutron proto-neutron star quasineutron tetraneutron thermal neutron trineutron
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