strange quark

noun Physics.

a quark having electric charge −1/3 times the elementary charge and strangeness −1; it is more massive than the up and down quarks.

Origin of strange quark

First recorded in 1970–75

Also called s quark.

strange quark in Science

A quark with an electric charge of -1/3 and a mass of 391 electron masses, greater than that of the up quark and down quark, but smaller than that of other quarks. The presence of a strange quark contributes strangeness of -1 to the physical system containing it, while a strange antiquark contributes strangeness of +1. See Table at subatomic particle.