positron

[ poz-i-tron ]

nounPhysics.
  1. an elementary particle having the same mass and spin as an electron but having a positive charge equal in magnitude to that of the electron's negative charge; the antiparticle of the electron.

Origin of positron

1
First recorded in 1930–35; posi(tive) + (elec)tron

Words Nearby positron

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British Dictionary definitions for positron

positron

/ (ˈpɒzɪˌtrɒn) /


noun
  1. physics the antiparticle of the electron, having the same mass but an equal and opposite charge. It is produced in certain decay processes and in pair production, annihilation occurring when it collides with an electron

Origin of positron

1
C20: from posi (tive + elec) tron

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 positron

positron

[ pŏzĭ-trŏn′ ]


  1. The antiparticle that corresponds to an electron. Also called antielectron

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for positron

positron

[ (poz-i-tron) ]


The antiparticle for an electron; it has the same mass as an electron, but carries a positive charge.

Notes for positron

Positrons are found in collisions initiated by cosmic rays.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.