gluon

[ gloo-on ]

noun

, Physics.

1. an unobserved massless particle with spin 1 that is believed to transmit the strong force between quarks, binding them together into baryons and mesons.

gluon

/ ˈɡluːɒn /

noun

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

gluon

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gluon¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gluon¹

C20: from glue + -on

Example Sentences

The procedure doesn’t make much physical sense, as gravitons are not literally pairs of gluons.

From Quanta Magazine

No one had seen gluons yet, or checked any of the important predictions.

From Nautilus

An artistic rendering of the quarks and gluons that make up a proton.

From Nautilus

We associate gravity with the fabric of space-time itself, while gluons move around in space-time.

From Quanta Magazine

That includes not just their size, but also their mass and the nature of their components — how, for example, the quarks and gluons that make them up are sprinkled around inside.

From Science News