quantum
quantity or amount: the least quantum of evidence.
a particular amount.
a share or portion.
a large quantity; bulk.
Physics.
the smallest quantity of radiant energy, equal to Planck's constant times the frequency of the associated radiation.
the fundamental unit of a quantized physical magnitude, as angular momentum.
sudden and significant: a quantum increase in productivity.
Origin of quantum
1Words Nearby quantum
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use quantum in a sentence
In other words, “if you’re building a quantum computer, put it in a basement.”
Cosmic rays could pose a problem for future quantum computers | Neel Patel | August 26, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewThere’s no doubt quantum theory is successful at the practical level.
Schrödinger’s Cat When Nobody Is Looking - Issue 89: The Dark Side | Daniel Sudarsky | August 26, 2020 | NautilusThat is, we don’t need quantum computing or nanotube transistors to augment or replace silicon chips yet.
Moore’s Law Lives: Intel Says Chips Will Pack 50 Times More Transistors | Jason Dorrier | August 23, 2020 | Singularity HubWhat makes the quantum computing competition different from most in the industry is that rivals are taking wildly different approaches.
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through August 22) | Singularity Hub Staff | August 22, 2020 | Singularity HubZooming in to that hidden center involves virtual particles — quantum fluctuations that subtly influence each interaction’s outcome.
The Mathematical Structure of Particle Collisions Comes Into View | Charlie Wood | August 20, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
He majored in mathematical physics, studying mind-bending theories of quantum mechanics and partial differential equations.
For that reason, researchers have developed a framework to describe quantum theory in combination with general relativity.
Weird as the theory is, invoking “quantum physics” is not an escape clause from obeying physical laws.
Dear NASA: Fuel-Free Rocket Thruster Is Literally Too Good to Be True | Matthew R. Francis | August 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTEach type of atom and molecule has its own unique spectrum, according to the rules of quantum mechanics.
Which is why it continues to go forward, even as the odds for success dip to the quantum level.
He went off into a happy mist of quantum mechanics, oscillation theory, and periodic functions of a complex variable.
Security | Poul William AndersonThe man had used a simplified quantum mechanics without correction for relativistic effects.
Security | Poul William AndersonThe ortho molecules rotate with odd rotational quantum numbers, while the para molecules rotate with even quantum numbers.
Unwise Child | Gordon Randall GarrettThe first is that the papers could be turned into a novel with hardly any important alteration, and with only quantum suff.
The English Novel | George SaintsburyParetur itaque librorum quantum satis sit, nihil in apparatum.
The Book-Hunter | John Hill Burton
British Dictionary definitions for quantum
/ (ˈkwɒntəm) /
physics
the smallest quantity of some physical property, such as energy, that a system can possess according to the quantum theory
a particle with such a unit of energy
amount or quantity, esp a specific amount
(often used with a negative) the least possible amount that can suffice: there is not a quantum of evidence for your accusation
something that can be quantified or measured
(modifier) loosely, sudden, spectacular, or vitally important: a quantum improvement
Origin of quantum
1Collins 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 quantum
[ kwŏn′təm ]
A discrete, indivisible manifestation of a physical property, such as a force or angular momentum. Some quanta take the form of elementary particles; for example, the quantum of electromagnetic radiation is the photon, while the quanta of the weak force are the W and Z particles. See also quantum state.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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