lepton

[ lep-ton ]

/ ˈlɛp tɒn /

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noun, plural lep·ta

[lep-tuh]. /ˈlɛp tə/.

an aluminum coin of modern Greece until the euro was adopted, one 100th of a drachma.

a small copper or bronze coin of ancient Greece.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of lepton

First recorded in 1715–25; from Greek leptón (nómisma) “a small (coin),” noun use of neuter of leptós small; see lepto-

Words nearby lepton

leptocephalus, leptocercal, leptodactylous, leptokurtic, leptokurtosis, lepton, lepton number, leptophos, leptophyllous, leptorrhine, leptosome

Other definitions for lepton (2 of 2)

lepton²

[ lep-ton ]

/ ˈlɛp tɒn /

noun Physics.

any of a class of particles with spin of ½ that are not subject to the strong force and that are believed to be truly elementary and not composed of quarks or other subunits. The leptons known or believed to exist are the electron and electron-neutrino, the muon and mu-neutrino, and the tau lepton and tau-neutrino.

Compare conservation of lepton number.

Origin of lepton

1948; <Greek, neuter of leptós small, slight; see lepto-, -on¹

OTHER WORDS FROM lepton

lep·ton·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lepton in a sentence

There are also “antimatter partners” of all quarks and leptons which are identical particles apart from an opposite charge.
CERN: How We’re Probing the Universe’s Origins Using Record Precision Measurements|Martha Hilton|June 24, 2021|Singularity Hub
Electrons and their heavier relatives, muons and taus, are leptons, as are a trio of lightweight particles called neutrinos.
How matter’s hidden complexity unleashed the power of nuclear physics|Emily Conover|April 8, 2021|Science News
Now let’s turn to the leptons, the other kind of matter particles.
A New Map of All the Particles and Forces|Natalie Wolchover, Samuel Velasco and Lucy Reading-Ikkanda|October 22, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Leptons in different generations also occasionally interact in this manner.
A New Map of All the Particles and Forces|Natalie Wolchover, Samuel Velasco and Lucy Reading-Ikkanda|October 22, 2020|Quanta Magazine

A lepton is a very small brass Jewish coin worth half a Roman quadrans each, which is worth a quarter of the copper assarion.
The World English Bible (WEB), The Old Testament, Complete|Various
The smallest copper coin in use among the Jews, the lepton, called in Hebrew chalcous, "copper money."
The Rand-McNally Bible Atlas|Jesse L. Hurlbut
Lepton, lep′ton, n. the smallest of modern Greek coins, 100 to the drachma.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)|Various
The game was thus played in 1810, and is so still, both here and at Lepton.
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol I of II)|Alice Bertha Gomme

British Dictionary definitions for lepton (1 of 2)

lepton¹

/ (ˈlɛptɒn) /

noun plural -ta (-tə)

a former Greek monetary unit worth one hundredth of a drachma

a small coin of ancient Greece

Word Origin for lepton

from Greek lepton (nomisma) small (coin)

British Dictionary definitions for lepton (2 of 2)

lepton²

/ (ˈlɛptɒn) /

noun

physics any of a group of elementary particles and their antiparticles, such as an electron, muon, or neutrino, that participate in electromagnetic and weak interactions and have a half-integral spin

Derived forms of lepton

leptonic, adjective

Word Origin for lepton

C20: from lepto- + -on

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

Scientific definitions for lepton

lepton

[ lĕp′tŏn′ ]

Any of a family of elementary particles that interact through the weak force and do not participate in the strong force. Leptons include electrons, muons, tau particles, and their respective neutrinos, the electron neutrino, the muon neutrino, and the tau neutrino. The antiparticles of these six particles are also leptons. Compare hadron. See Note at elementary particle. See Table at subatomic particle.

Cultural definitions for lepton

lepton

[ (lep-ton) ]

Any one of six elementary particles that are one of the fundamental constituents of matter. Leptons are not affected by the strong force and are not normally found in the nucleus of the atom. The electron and the neutrino are examples of leptons.