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annihilation

 - 2 dictionary results

an⋅ni⋅hi⋅la⋅tion

  [uh-nahy-uh-ley-shuhn]
Use annihilation in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act or an instance of annihilating.
2. the state of being annihilated; extinction; destruction.
3. Physics.
a. Also called pair annihilation. the process in which a particle and antiparticle unite, annihilate each other, and produce one or more photons. Compare positronium.
b. the conversion of rest mass into energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.
Origin:
1630–40; (< F) < LL annihilātiōn- (s. of annihilātiō). See annihilate, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To annihilation
an·ni·hi·la·tion   (ə-nī'ə-lā'shən)   
n.  

    1. The act or process of annihilating.

    2. The condition of having been annihilated; utter destruction.

  2. Physics The phenomenon in which a particle and an antiparticle, such as an electron and a positron, meet and are converted completely to energy approximately equivalent to the sum of their masses.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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