down quark
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of down quark
First recorded in 1975–80
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.
While a proton contains two up quarks and one down quark, the Ξcc⁺ replaces the up quarks with heavier charm quarks.
From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026
The newly discovered "Xi-cc-plus" contains two "charm" quarks and one "down" quark.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
High school physics would have you believe that inside this proton you'll find a simple triad of three fundamental particles called quarks—two up quarks and one down quark.
From Scientific American • Feb. 22, 2023
Dr. Spradlin said he and his colleagues are searching the same data that revealed the Xi-cc++ for the baryon with two charm quarks and one down quark.
From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2017
A proton contains two up quarks and one down quark; a neutron contains two down and one up.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
