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angstrom

[ang-struh m]
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noun (often initial capital letter)
  1. a unit of length, equal to one tenth of a millimicron, or one ten millionth of a millimeter, primarily used to express electromagnetic wavelengths. Symbol: Å; Abbreviation: A
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Origin of angstrom

First recorded in 1895–1900; named after A. J. Ångström
Also called angstrom unit, Angstrom unit.

Ångström

[ang-struh m; Swedish awng-strœm]
noun
  1. An·ders Jo·nas [an-derz joh-nuh s; Swedish ahn-duh rs-yoo-nahs] /ˈæn dərz ˈdʒoʊ nəs; Swedish ˈɑn dərsˈyu nɑs/, 1814–74, Swedish astronomer and physicist.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for angstrom

Historical Examples

  • The man who came nearest to the philosophy of the subject was Angstrom.

    Fragments of science, V. 1-2

    John Tyndall

British Dictionary definitions for angstrom

angstrom

noun
  1. Also called: angstrom unit a unit of length equal to 10 –10 metre, used principally to express the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiations. It is equivalent to 0.1 nanometreSymbol: Å, A
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Word Origin

C20: named after Anders J. Ångström

Ångström

noun
  1. Anders Jonas (ˈandərs ˈjuːnas). 1814–74, Swedish physicist, noted for his work on spectroscopy and solar physics
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for angstrom

n.

unit of length equal to one hundred millionth of a centimeter (used to measure wavelengths of light), 1892, named for Swedish physicist Anders Ångström (1814-1874).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
angstrom in Medicine

angstrom

n.
  1. A unit of length equal to one hundred millionth (10-8) of a centimeter, used especially to specify radiation wavelengths.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
angstrom in Science

angstrom

[ăng′strəm]
  1. A unit of length equal to one hundred-millionth (10-10) of a meter. It was once used to measure wavelengths of light and the diameters of atoms, but has now been mostly replaced by the nanometer.
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Ångström

[ăng′strəm]
  1. Swedish physicist and astronomer who pioneered the use of the spectroscope in the analysis of radiation. By studying the spectrum of visible light given off by the Sun, Ångström discovered that there is hydrogen in the Sun's atmosphere. The angstrom unit of measurement is named for him.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.