neutron
noun
neu·tron
| \ ˈnü-ˌträn
, ˈnyü-\
, ˈnyü-\
Definition of neutron
: an uncharged elementary particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton and is present in all known atomic nuclei except the hydrogen nucleus
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Other Words from neutron
neutronic
\ nü-ˈträ-nik
, nyü- \
adjective
, nyü- \
adjective
Examples of neutron in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This was first done successfully after the detection, in August 2017, of the first neutron-star merger. — The Economist, "Gravitational astronomy proves its maturity," 20 Aug. 2019 Seeing just one black hole shred a neutron star could reveal how stiff neutron-star matter is, Kalogera says, which is key to deciphering the structure of neutron stars. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "Scientists may have spotted a black hole and a neutron star colliding," 16 Aug. 2019 How to Read the Table Many periodic tables include the atomic number (number of protons) and atomic weight (which depends on protons and neutrons). — Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, "Everything Worth Knowing About The Periodic Table," 26 June 2019 These materials aren’t made of anything special — just normal particles such as protons, neutrons and electrons. — Quanta Magazine, "‘Quantum Atmospheres’ May Reveal Secrets of Matter," 25 Sep. 2018 The new results suggest that neutron-star mergers are important sources of short-duration gamma-ray bursts, study team members said. — Mike Wall, Space.com, "Faster Than Light? Neutron-Star Merger Shot Out a Jet with Seemingly Impossible Speed," 5 Sep. 2018 That is because oxygen−16, containing two fewer neutrons and therefore lighter than oxygen−18, evaporates more easily from the ocean but does not rain out again as readily. — Christopher Mooney, BostonGlobe.com, "Scientists may have solved a huge riddle that led to more than 1,000 years of cold on Earth. It doesn’t bode well," 12 July 2018 Most people with a semester of chemistry under their belt understand that atoms are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "The Large Hadron Collider Is Getting A Huge Power Boost," 19 June 2018 Patla wanted to see if the magnetic interactions in two different atoms, even though they are assembled from different numbers of protons, electrons, and neutrons, would behave the same way over time and space. — Sophia Chen, WIRED, "These Physicists Watched a Clock Tick for 14 Years Straight," 4 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'neutron.' 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 neutron
neutron
noun
English Language Learners Definition of neutron
physics
: a very small particle of matter that has no electrical charge and is part of the nucleus of all atoms except hydrogen atoms
See the full definition for neutron in the English Language Learners Dictionary
neutron
noun
neu·tron
| \ ˈnü-ˌträn
, ˈnyü-\
, ˈnyü-\
Kids Definition of neutron
: a particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton but no electrical charge and that is present in all atomic nuclei except those of hydrogen
neutron
noun
neu·tron
| \ ˈn(y)ü-ˌträn
\
\
Medical Definition of neutron
: an uncharged elementary particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton and is present in all known atomic nuclei except the hydrogen nucleus
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