deuteron

American  

[doo-tuh-ron, dyoo-] / ˈdu təˌrɒn, ˈdyu- /

noun

Physics.

1. a positively charged particle consisting of a proton and a neutron, equivalent to the nucleus of an atom of deuterium.

---

deuteron British  

/ ˈdjuːtəˌrɒn /

noun

1. the nucleus of a deuterium atom, consisting of one proton and one neutron

---

deuteron Scientific  

/ do̅o̅′tə-rŏn′ /

1. The nucleus of a deuterium atom, consisting of a proton and a neutron. It is regarded as a subatomic particle with unit positive charge.

---

Etymology

Origin of deuteron

1933; < Greek deúter ( os ) second + -on ¹

Example Sentences

A deuteron contains just one proton and one neutron, held together by a relatively weak force.

From Science Daily • Dec. 27, 2025

In HD+, a proton is replaced by a deuteron, which makes the molecule more accessible in spectroscopic terms.

From Science Daily • Feb. 27, 2024

In the first step of this fusion process, two protons inside the sun fuse into a deuteron while giving off a neutrino and a positron—the antiparticle of the electron.

From Scientific American • Feb. 20, 2022

Using some theoretical results enabled them to determine the deuteron to proton mass ratio to 4.5 parts per trillion, they report in a paper in press at Physical Review Letters.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 30, 2021

As it happened, the Joliots’ discovery of artificial radioactivity came at the moment when Lawrence was fighting his final rearguard action in defense of his deuteron theory.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik