tachyon

American  

[tak-ee-on] / ˈtæk iˌɒn /

noun

Physics.

1. a hypothetical particle that travels faster than the speed of light.

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tachyon British  

/ ˈtækɪˌɒn /

noun

1. physics a hypothetical elementary particle capable of travelling faster than the velocity of light

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tachyon Scientific  

/ tăk′ē-ŏn′ /

1. A hypothetical subatomic particle that travels faster than the speed of light. Although the principles of relativity forbid the acceleration of a particle past the speed of light, they do not prohibit the existence of particles that have always moved faster than that speed. No such particle has ever been detected.

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Etymology

Origin of tachyon

First recorded in 1967; tachy- + -on ¹

Example Sentences

It seemed like the two of them had killed all of the attacking Kavalrymen, but someone appears behind the tachyon cannon just long enough to fire it, and Doctor Manhattan is teleported away.

From Slate • Dec. 8, 2019

Like a plane going faster than the speed of sound, a tachyon with an electrical charge would generate a "light boom" as it traveled faster than 186,000 m.p.s.

From Time Magazine Archive

Q. How do you spell this tachyon thing?

From Time Magazine Archive