muon

[myoo-on]

noun Physics.

a lepton similar in most respects to the electron except that it is unstable, it may be positively charged, and its mass is approximately 207 times greater; the positively charged muon is the antiparticle of the negatively charged muon. Symbol: μ

Origin of muon

1950–55; by shortening of mu meson; see mu, -on¹

Related formsmu·on·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for muon

Historical Examples of muon

That is, if the muon did not exist, what effect would this have on the structure of matter?
LRL Accelerators
Lawrence Radiation Laboratory
The behavior of the muon is well understood, but its role as one of the elementary particles is unknown.
LRL Accelerators
Lawrence Radiation Laboratory
The muon is unstable, eventually undergoing a radioactive decay into an electron.
LRL Accelerators
Lawrence Radiation Laboratory
Although the muon does not experience nuclear forces, it can interact weakly with nuclei.
LRL Accelerators
Lawrence Radiation Laboratory

British Dictionary definitions for muon

muon

noun

a positive or negative elementary particle with a mass 207 times that of an electron and spin 1/2 . It was originally called the mu meson but is now classified as a lepton

Derived Formsmuonic (mjuːˈɒnɪk), adjective

Word Origin for muon

C20: short for mu meson

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

muon in Science

muon

[myōō′ŏn′]

An elementary particle in the lepton family having a mass 209 times that of the electron, a negative electric charge, and a mean lifetime of 2.2 X 10-6 seconds. The muon was originally called the mu-meson and was once thought to be a meson. See Table at subatomic particle.