proportional counter

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noun Physics.

a radiation counter in which the strength of each electric pulse generated per count is proportional to the energy of the particle or photon producing the pulse, alpha particles producing a different electric pulse from beta rays.

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Origin of proportional counter

First recorded in 1935–40

Words nearby proportional counter

proponent, Propontis, proportion, proportionable, proportional, proportional counter, proportional font, proportionality, proportional limit, proportional representation, proportional spacing

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

How to use proportional counter in a sentence

When Chérif got out of prison, he worked at the fish counter of a supermarket.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This led to the formation of a Christian militant group to counter the rebels, and all-out sectarian violence exploded.
The Year’s Most Forgotten Humanitarian Crisis|Nina Strochlic|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the outage has raised the question of what that proportional response would look like, and whether it would be legal.
Cyberwar on North Korea Could Be Illegal|Shane Harris|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It seemed gratuitous and counter-intuitive in a story that had already inflicted more than enough suffering.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Then the sun went down and the anger came back as a “Thank You NYPD” rally traded insults with counter-protestors.
NYC’s Garner Protesters vs. Pro-Cop Protesters|Jacob Siegel|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On to Gaba Tepe just in time to see the opening, the climax and the end of the dreaded Turkish counter attack.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Our beloved Queen had drawn the teeth of the Turkish counter-attack on our extreme left.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Thereupon, I gave the word for a general counter-attack and our line began to advance.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The handkerchief glimmered on the counter, more white than anything else in that grey dusk.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
She preceded him along a passage and then, taking a door on the left, found herself surprisingly in the shop, behind a counter.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for proportional counter

proportional counter

noun

an instrument for detecting and measuring the intensity of ionizing radiation. It is similar to a Geiger counter but operates at a lower potential difference such that the magnitude of the discharge is directly proportional to the number of gas molecules ionized by the detected particle. This may permit the identification of the particle or the determination of its energy

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