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beta particle

noun Physics.
  1. an electron or positron emitted from an atomic nucleus in a certain type of radioactive decay.

Origin of beta particle

First recorded in 1900–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for beta particle

beta particle

noun
  1. a high-speed electron or positron emitted by a nucleus during radioactive decay or nuclear fission
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
beta particle in Medicine

beta particle

n.
  1. A high-speed electron or positron, especially one emitted from the nucleus of an atom in radioactive decay.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
beta particle in Science

beta particle

  1. A high-speed electron or positron, usually emitted by an atomic nucleus undergoing radioactive decay. Beta particles are given off naturally by decaying neutrons in radioactive atoms and can be created in particle accelerators. Beta particles have greater speed and penetrating power than alpha particles but can be stopped by a sheet of aluminum that is 2 to 3 mm thick. See more at radioactive decay.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.