gluon

American  

[gloo-on] / ˈglu ɒn /

noun

Physics.

1. a massless particle with spin 1 that transmits the strong force between quarks, binding them together into baryons and mesons.

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gluon British  

/ ˈɡluːɒn /

noun

1. a hypothetical particle believed to be exchanged between quarks in order to bind them together to form particles

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gluon Scientific  

/ glo̅o̅′ŏn /

1. The subatomic particle that mediates the strong force. The exchange of gluons between two quarks changes the color of the quarks and results in the attractive force holding them together in hadrons. Gluons are bosons.

2. See Table at subatomic particle

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Etymology

Origin of gluon

First recorded in 1970–75; glue + -on ¹

Example Sentences

Because electrons are elementary particles, these experiments will offer a clearer way to probe dense gluon systems inside individual protons.

From Science Daily • Jan. 5, 2026

All interact by exchanging other particles: The photon conveys the electromagnetic force, the gluon carries the strong force that binds quarks, and the massive W and Z bosons carry the weak force.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 12, 2022

As the u quark leaves the proton, a gluon creates a pair of virtual particles, a d quark and a d antiquark.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

A gluon is a subatomic particle that binds quarks together.

From Scientific American • Oct. 14, 2013

It is believed that this force is carried by another spin-1 particle, called the gluon, which interacts only with itself and with the quarks.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking