hyperfine structure

[ hahy-per-fahyn, hahy- ]

/ ˈhaɪ pərˈfaɪn, ˌhaɪ- /

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noun Physics.

the splitting of the lines of an atomic spectrum, produced by the angular momentum of the nucleus of the atom.

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Compare fine structure.

Origin of hyperfine structure

First recorded in 1925–30; hyper- + fine¹

Words nearby hyperfine structure

hyperextension-hyperflexion injury, hyperferremia, hyperfibrinogenemia, hyperfibrinolysis, hyperfiction, hyperfine structure, hyperflexion, hyperfocal distance, hyperform, hyperfunction, hyperfunctional occlusion

How to use hyperfine structure in a sentence

In front of this strange structure are two blank-faced, well-dressed models showing off the latest in European minimalism.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One blames black Americans as a race; the other, racism as a social structure.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This is not because of bad leaders, or polarized politics, but because of a governing structure that is fatally flawed.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the chord structure, for those of you who play an instrument, is unexpected and worth checking out.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

According to a military spokesperson, Boko Haram had built a “female wing” in its command structure.
The New Face of Boko Haram’s Terror: Teen Girls|Nina Strochlic|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But dwelling means a special kind of structure—a building occupied by man—a place to live in.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
The building, a mosque-like structure of considerable size, was situated in the midst of a grove of mango trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
I had no sooner stepped upon the frail structure when it suddenly and unaccountably gave way in the middle.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
In ordinary work, however, it is safer to base the distinction upon size than upon structure.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
They combine the fixing with the staining process, and stain differentially every normal and abnormal structure in the blood.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for hyperfine structure

hyperfine structure

/ (ˈhaɪpəˌfaɪn) /

noun

the splitting of a spectral line of an atom or molecule into two or more closely spaced components as a result of interaction of the electrons with the magnetic moments of the nucleiCompare fine structure See also Zeeman effect

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