Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

proton

 - 8 dictionary results

pro⋅ton

[proh-ton]
–noun Physics, Chemistry.
a positively charged elementary particle that is a fundamental constituent of all atomic nuclei. It is the lightest and most stable baryon, having a charge equal in magnitude to that of the electron, a spin of 1/2 , and a mass of 1.673 × 10−2 7 kg. Symbol: P

Origin:
1915–20; n. use of Gk prôton, neut. of prôtos first


pro⋅ton⋅ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To proton
pro·ton   (prō'tŏn')   
n.   Abbr. p
A stable, positively charged subatomic particle in the baryon family having a mass 1,836 times that of the electron. See Table at subatomic particle.

[From Greek prōton, neuter of prōtos, first; see per1 in Indo-European roots.]
pro·ton'ic adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

proton [(proh-ton)]

An elementary particle with a positive charge, found in the nucleus of an atom.

Note: A proton is over a thousand times heavier than an electron.
Note: Protons and neutrons make up most of an atom's mass.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

proton 
1920, coined by Eng. physicist Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) from Gk. proton, neut. of protos "first," supposedly because hydrogen was hypothesized as a constituent of all the elements. The word was used earlier in embryology (1893) at a transl. of Ger. anlage ("fundamental thing") based on Aristotle's phrase he prote ousia to proton.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pro·ton
Pronunciation: 'prO-"tän
Function: noun
: an elementary particle that is identical with the nucleus of the hydrogen atom,that along with neutrons is a constituent of all other atomic nuclei, that carries a positive charge numerically equal to the charge of an electron, and that has a mass of1.673×1024 gram —pro·ton·ic /prO-'tän-ik/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

proton pro·ton (prō'tŏn')
n.
A stable, positively charged subatomic particle in the baryon family having a mass 1,836 times that of the electron.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
proton   (prō'tŏn')  Pronunciation Key 
A stable subatomic particle in the baryon family having a mass of 1.672 × 10-24 grams (1,836 times that of the electron) and a positive electric charge of approximately 1.602 × 10-19 coulombs. Protons make up part of the nucleus of all atoms except hydrogen, whose nucleus consists of a single proton. In neutral atoms, the number of protons is the same as the number of electrons. In positively charged atoms, the number of protons is greater than the number of electrons, and in negatively charged atoms electrons outnumber protons. Protons are believed to be composed of two up quarks and one down quark. See Table at subatomic particle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Computing Dictionary

PROTON
1. A home computer made by Acorn Computers under a contract won from the BBC in April 1981.
[Details?]
2. Something to do with Microsoft SoftLib?
(1994-11-28)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Cite This Source
Search another word or see proton on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: