tau
noun
\ ˈtau̇
, ˈtȯ\
, ˈtȯ\
Definition of tau
1
: the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet — see Alphabet Table
2
: a short-lived elementary particle of the lepton family that exists in positive and negative charge states and has a mass about 3500 times greater than an electron
— called also tau particle
3
: a protein that binds to and regulates the assembly and stability of neuronal microtubules and that is found in an abnormal form as the major component of neurofibrillary tangles
Examples of tau in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are three kinds—the electron neutrino, the muon neutrino, and the tau neutrino. — Nandita Jayaraj, Quartz India, "Meet Indumathi, the Indian scientist who wants to capture one of the universe’s smallest particles," 27 Aug. 2019 For example, the neutrinos made at Fermilab, nearly all of which will be of a flavor called muon, could arrive in South Dakota as muon neutrinos, or either of the two other flavors, tau or electron neutrinos. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, "Why Fermilab is Making A Neutrino Detector 800 Miles Long," 12 Mar. 2019 Praticò said a couple other drugs aimed at tau are also currently being tested. — Stacey Burling, Philly.com, "An asthma drug shows promise against Alzheimer's," 8 June 2018 New clues through various university studies point to the destructive tau protein, which seems to spread more widely in a female Alzheimer’s brain than a male’s. — Halley Bondy, NBC News, "In the know: Women in the news 7/15-7/19," 19 July 2019 Graffinity Pharmaceuticals, now part of NovAliX, has identified small molecules to target the disordered protein tau, which is involved in Alzheimer’s pathology. — Elizabeth O'day, Scientific American, "A Special Class of Proteins Offers Promising Targets for Drugs for Cancer and Alzheimer's," 1 July 2019 According to a Monday release, scientists tested the vaccine on mice and found the animals were able to develop antibodies that combatted tau tangles, which can block communication between neurons. — Adrianna Rodriguez, Now Reporter, USA TODAY, "More researchers report promising Alzheimer's vaccine results in mice," 20 Nov. 2018 Vanderbilt University researchers found differences in how tau, a protein that destroys nerve cells, spreads in the brains of women compared to men. — Los Angeles Times, "Alzheimer’s affects women more than men. Now scientists have some clues as to why," 16 July 2019 Vanderbilt University researchers found differences in how tau, a protein that forms tangles that destroy nerve cells, spreads in the brains of women compared to men. — Washington Post, "New clues on why women’s Alzheimer’s risk differs from men’s," 16 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tau.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for tau
tau
noun
\ ˈtau̇
, ˈtȯ
\
, ˈtȯ
\
Medical Definition of tau
: a protein that binds to and regulates the assembly and stability of neuronal microtubules and that is found in an abnormal form as the major component of neurofibrillary tangles
— called also tau protein