subatomic particle

American  

[suhb-uh-tahm-ik pahr-ti-kuhl] / ˌsʌb əˈtɑm ɪk ˈpɑr tɪ kəl /

noun

plural

subatomic particles

1. Physics. any of various basic constituents of matter that are smaller than an atom, such as a proton, electron, or gluon.

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subatomic particle Scientific  

/ sŭb′ə-tŏm′ĭk /

1. Any of various particles of matter that are smaller than a hydrogen atom. Protons, neutrons, and electrons are subatomic particles, as are all hadrons and leptons.

2. See also composite particle elementary particle

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Example Sentences

Every time one tiny subatomic particle smashes into another during experiments at the LHC, the impact generates staggering volumes of data – about one petabyte per second.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2024

This means that a single subatomic particle carries the same kinetic energy as a major league pitcher's fast ball and has tens of millions of times more energy than any human-made particle accelerator can achieve.

From Science Daily • Nov. 23, 2023

The largest scientific project in Antarctica, ICECUBE, attempts to quantify and trace an unfathomably small subatomic particle — the neutrino.

From Salon • May 29, 2023

Through what’s called beta-minus decay, a neutron will transform into a proton, spitting out an electron and another subatomic particle called a neutrino in the process.

From Scientific American • Jan. 9, 2023

Improbably he wondered if the neutron–the subatomic particle that had just been discovered in England by James Chadwick, and was thus both novel and rather fashionable–might be at the heart of things.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson