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axion

American

[ak-see-on] / ˈæk siˌɒn /

noun

Physics.

a hypothetical particle having no charge, zero spin, and small mass: postulated in some forms of quantum chromodynamics.

axion British

/ ˈæksɪˌon /

noun

physics a hypothetical neutral elementary particle postulated to account for certain conservation laws in the strong interaction

"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

Etymology

Origin of axion

1978; perhaps axi(al current) + -on ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Through these mechanisms, the reactor could theoretically produce axions or axion like particles.

From Science Daily • Dec. 28, 2025

“If dark matter were a QCD axion, it would essentially be invisible to us,” O’Hare told Salon in a video call.

From Salon • Dec. 26, 2024

"It would be a real shame if a supernova went off tomorrow and we missed an opportunity to detect the axion -- it might not come back for another 50 years."

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024

The lack of a detection, however, would eliminate a large range of potential masses for the axion, and make most current dark matter searches irrelevant.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024

A few have also pursued the axion, a nearly massless particle originally proposed to solve a different problem with the theory of the strong nuclear force.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 20, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023