hadron
any elementary particle that is subject to the strong interaction. Hadrons are subdivided into baryons and mesons.
Origin of hadron
1Other words from hadron
- ha·dron·ic [ha-dron-ik], /hæˈdrɒn ɪk/, adjective
- Compare quark.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for hadron
/ (ˈhædrɒn) /
any elementary particle capable of taking part in a strong nuclear interaction and therefore excluding leptons and photons
Origin of hadron
1Derived forms of hadron
- hadronic, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for hadron
[ hăd′rŏn′ ]
Any of a class of subatomic particles composed of a combination of two or more quarks or antiquarks. Quarks (and antiquarks) of different colors are held together in hadrons by the strong nuclear force. Hadrons include both baryons (composed of three quarks or three antiquarks) and mesons (composed of a quark and an antiquark). The combination of quark colors in a hadron must be neutral, for example, red and antired (as in a pion) or red, blue, and green (as in a proton). Compare baryon lepton.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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