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• triton
  triton

  noun

  a positively-charged particle consisting of a proton and two neutrons, equivalent to the nucleus of an atom of tritium.
• Triton
  Triton

  noun

  a son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, represented as having the head and trunk of a man and the tail of a fish, and as using a conch-shell trumpet.

triton

¹ American  

[trahy-ton] / ˈtraɪ tɒn /

noun

Physics.

1. a positively-charged particle consisting of a proton and two neutrons, equivalent to the nucleus of an atom of tritium.

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Triton ² American  

[trahyt-n] / ˈtraɪt n /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, represented as having the head and trunk of a man and the tail of a fish, and as using a conch-shell trumpet.

2. Astronomy. a moon of Neptune.

3. (lowercase) any of various marine gastropods of the family Cymatiidae, having a large, spiral, often beautifully colored shell.

4. (lowercase) the shell of a triton.

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Triton ¹ British  

/ ˈtraɪtən /

noun

1. a sea god, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, depicted as having the upper parts of a man with a fish's tail and holding a trumpet made from a conch shell

2. one of a class of minor sea deities

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Triton ² British  

/ ˈtraɪtən /

noun

1. the largest satellite of the planet Neptune. Diameter: 2700 km

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triton ³ British  

/ ˈtraɪtən /

noun

1. any of various chiefly tropical marine gastropod molluscs of the genera Charonia , Cymatium , etc, having large beautifully-coloured spiral shells

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triton ⁴ British  

/ ˈtraɪtɒn /

noun

1. physics a nucleus of an atom of tritium, containing two neutrons and one proton

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Other Word Forms

• Tritonic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of triton

1930–35; < Greek tríton, neuter of trítos third, equivalent to trí- tri- + -ton neuter adj. suffix; cf. -on ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

triton Triton

The bird was either a yellow-crested or a triton cockatoo, she said, meaning it most likely came from northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, or islands off Indonesia.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2018

Ships teem around the Arsenale while a colossal triton rides a sea monster at the mouth of the Grand Canal – the real marries the fabulous as Venice is wedded to the sea.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 23, 2010

By relentlessly hunting for a rare trumpet-shaped mollusk called the giant triton, some scientists say, shell collectors have taken a devastating toll of one of the crown-of-thorns' few natural enemies.

From Time Magazine Archive

And the author of its crimes is no diabolical triton, but a semi-imbecile old dotard, round whom his evil—but terrified—brood have clustered; they fawning on him in terror, he fondling them in shaky, decrepit fondness.

From Raemaekers' Cartoons With Accompanying Notes by Well-known English Writers by Louis Raemaekers

He wiped his forehead, in reply, gasping like a triton, and muttering the expressive direction, "right!" disappeared into a guard-box.

From Campaigns of a Non-Combatant, and His Romaunt Abroad During the War by George Alfred Townsend

These findings point to the existence of an original moon system that was demolished when Triton, Neptune's biggest moon, was likely captured by the planet's gravity after it formed elsewhere in the solar system.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

Triton flights continue in May, with eight flights circling the island.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

The boys played with heart, grit,discipline and poise Our Triton Culture was on full display all day long!

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2025

The pair plan to use a sub dubbed the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer – the “4000” refers to the depth in metres to which the craft can safely be deployed.

From BBC ● May 28, 2024

Triton smiled like that was a cute suggestion—like I was a slightly amusing dog that had barked for him or something.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan