pion
the first meson to be discovered: it has spin 0 and may be positively or negatively charged or neutral; charged pions decay into a muon and a neutrino or antineutrino. Symbol: π
Origin of pion
1- Also called pi meson.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use pion in a sentence
These flats were free from stones and covered with a scant growth of cottonwoods and pions.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. MatthewsWe could see the dim light of the pions' watch-candles under the doors.
A Tatter of Scarlet | S. R. CrockettSmall basket-bowl sieve for parching or toasting corn or pions.
Illustrated Catalogue of the Collections Obtained | James StevensonThe scholars signify their contempt for the ushers—officially known as maîtres répétiteurs—by nicknaming them pions or watch-dogs.
Pions and muons, plus and minus; the lambda and the antilambda.
A Feast of Demons | William Morrison
British Dictionary definitions for pion
pi meson
/ (ˈpaɪɒn) /
physics a meson having a positive or negative charge and a rest mass 273.13 times that of the electron, or no charge and a rest mass 264.14 times that of the electron
Origin of pion
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for pion
[ pī′ŏn′ ]
A meson occurring either in a neutral form with a mass 264 times that of an electron and a mean lifetime of 8.4 X 10-17 seconds or in a positively or negatively charged form with a mass 273 times that of an electron and a mean lifetime of 2.6 X 10-8 seconds. The pion was once believed to be the particle that mediates the strong force, which holds nucleons together in the nucleus; it is now believed that the gluon is the mediator particle. Pions do interact with nucleons, however, and are able to transform neutrons into protons and vice versa. Also called pi-meson See Table at subatomic particle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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