meson

[ mee-zon, ‐son, mez-on, mes‐ ]

/ ˈmi zɒn, ‐sɒn, ˈmɛz ɒn, ˈmɛs‐ /

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noun

Physics. any hadron, or strongly interacting particle, other than a baryon. Mesons are bosons, having spins of 0, 1, 2, …, and, unlike baryons, do not obey a conservation law.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Compare quark model.

Origin of meson

1935–40; mes- + -on¹; cf. mesotron

OTHER WORDS FROM meson

me·son·ic, adjective

Words nearby meson

mesomere, mesomerism, mesometeorology, mesomorph, mesomorphic, meson, mesonephros, mesopause, mesopeak, mesopelagic, mesopelagic zone

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

How to use meson in a sentence

Mesons can sometimes appear fleetingly on Earth, when high-energy cosmic rays collide with typical matter.
Scientists found a fleeting particle from the universe’s first moments|Rahul Rao|January 28, 2022|Popular-Science
A type of meson called D0, for example, which contains charm quarks, is in a superposition of two normal matter particles called D1 and D2.
CERN: How We’re Probing the Universe’s Origins Using Record Precision Measurements|Martha Hilton|June 24, 2021|Singularity Hub
These are exciting prospects for investigating matter-antimatter asymmetry and the oscillations of mesons.
CERN: How We’re Probing the Universe’s Origins Using Record Precision Measurements|Martha Hilton|June 24, 2021|Singularity Hub
Mesons with zero electric charge continually undergo a phenomenon called mixing by which they spontaneously change into their antimatter particle, and vice versa.
CERN: How We’re Probing the Universe’s Origins Using Record Precision Measurements|Martha Hilton|June 24, 2021|Singularity Hub

One is the “pion cloud” model, a popular, decades-old approach that emphasizes the proton’s tendency to emit and reabsorb particles called pions, which belong to a group of particles known as mesons.
Decades-Long Quest Reveals Details of the Proton’s Inner Antimatter|Natalie Wolchover|February 24, 2021|Quanta Magazine
At the meson we found real rooms and true beds, and decided to stay for the night.
In Indian Mexico (1908)|Frederick Starr
At half past eight we reached San Carlos, a mean town with no meson or other regular stopping-place.
In Indian Mexico (1908)|Frederick Starr
We found shelter at a sort of a meson, where we could get no supper until nine, or possibly till ten.
In Indian Mexico (1908)|Frederick Starr
The maximum intensity of this extracted meson beam depends on both the charge and energy desired.
LRL Accelerators|Lawrence Radiation Laboratory
This meson beam then travels through a hole in the concrete shielding wall into the meson cave.
LRL Accelerators|Lawrence Radiation Laboratory

British Dictionary definitions for meson

meson

/ (ˈmiːzɒn) /

noun

any of a group of elementary particles, such as a pion or kaon, that usually has a rest mass between those of an electron and a proton, and an integral spin. They are responsible for the force between nucleons in the atomic nucleusFormer name: mesotron See also muon

Derived forms of meson

mesonic or mesic, adjective

Word Origin for meson

C20: from meso- + -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 meson

meson

[ mĕz′ŏn′, mĕs′-, mē′zŏn′, -sŏn′ ]

Any of a family of subatomic particles that are composed of a quark and an antiquark. Their masses are generally intermediate between leptons and baryons, and they can have positive, negative, or neutral charge. Mesons form a subclass of hadrons and include the kaon, pion and J/psi particles. Mesons were originally believed to be the particles that mediated the strong nuclear force, but it has since been shown that the gluon mediates this force. See Table at subatomic particle.

Cultural definitions for meson

meson

[ (mez-on, may-zon) ]

An elementary particle in the atomic nucleus.