soliton

American  

[sol-i-ton] / ˈsɒl ɪˌtɒn /

Mathematics, Physics.

1. a solution of a certain type of partial differential equation that represents a solitary wave.

2. (loosely) a solitary wave.

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soliton British  

/ ˈsɒlɪˌtɒn /

noun

1. physics an isolated particle-like wave that is a solution of certain equations for propagation, occurring when two solitary waves do not change their form after collision and subsequently travelling for considerable distances

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Etymology

Origin of soliton

First recorded in 1960–65; solit(ary) + -on ¹

Example Sentences

At a very different scale, a black hole can be understood as a topological soliton in the fabric of spacetime.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2024

And while dominoes can only fall down once, a soliton moving along the metamaterial simply sets up the chain for an anti-soliton to move through it in the same direction.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2024

The Scottish engineer and naval architect John Scott Russell first spotted a soliton in 1834 as it traveled along the Union Canal.

From New York Times • May 8, 2020

But no one had created a soliton in water on the scale that Slater wanted.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 10, 2018

The result is what physicists call a solitary wave, or soliton, that mimics an individual swell in the open ocean.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 8, 2017