photodisintegration

American

[foh-toh-di-sin-ti-grey-shuhn] / ˌfoʊ toʊ dɪˌsɪn tɪˈgreɪ ʃən /

noun

Physics.

the disintegration of a nucleus, induced by its absorption of a photon.

photodisintegration British

/ ˌfəʊtəʊdɪˌsɪntɪˈɡreɪʃən /

noun

disintegration of an atomic nucleus as a result of its absorption of a photon, usually a gamma ray

"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

Etymology

Origin of photodisintegration

First recorded in 1930–35; photo- + disintegration

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023