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• dalton
  dalton

  noun

  atomic mass unit.
• Dalton
  Dalton

  noun

  John, 1766–1844, English chemist and physicist.

dalton

¹ American  

[dawl-tn] / ˈdɔl tn /

noun

Physics.

1. atomic mass unit.

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Dalton ² American  

[dawl-tn] / ˈdɔl tn /

noun

1. John, 1766–1844, English chemist and physicist.

2. Robert, 1867–92, U.S. outlaw in the West.

3. a city in NW Georgia.

4. a male given name.

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Dalton ¹ British  

/ ˈdɔːltən /

noun

1. John. 1766–1844, English chemist and physicist, who formulated the modern form of the atomic theory and the law of partial pressures for gases. He also gave the first accurate description of colour blindness, from which he suffered

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dalton ² British  

/ ˈdɔːltən /

noun

1. another name for atomic mass unit

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Dalton ¹ Scientific  

1. British chemist whose pioneering work on the properties of the atmosphere and gases led him to formulate the atomic theory. Dalton's theory stipulates that all matter is made up of combinations of atoms, the atoms of each element being identical. These atoms can be neither created nor destroyed, but chemical reactions take place through their rearrangement.

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dalton ² Scientific  

/ dôl′tən /

1. See atomic mass unit

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Etymology

Origin of dalton

First recorded in 1935–40; named after J. Dalton

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Dalton

Adoption of e-readers like the Kindle and Kobo didn’t replace physical books; and despite the shuttering of mass-market chains like Borders, Waldenbooks and B. Dalton, the last 30 years have seen a reading boom.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

When All-Star catcher Will Smith went down with a neck injury, they turned to homegrown Dodger Dalton Rushing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Dalton Rushing, who has taken over as the Dodgers’ primary catcher in Smith’s absence, is batting .213 with one home run and 19 strikeouts in 18 games while Smith has been on the injured list.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

The document was seized by the Royal Navy on Christmas Eve 1776 when the HMS Raisonable captured an American ship, the Dalton, off the coast of Portugal following a seven-hour pursuit.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

The work made Dalton famous–albeit in a low-key, English Quaker sort of way.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson