electron

noun

elec·​tron i-ˈlek-ˌträn 

: an elementary particle consisting of a charge of negative electricity equal to about 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ coulomb and having a mass when at rest of about 9.109 × 10⁻³¹ kilogram or about 1/1836 that of a proton

Examples of electron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The argon’s jostling atoms will release electrons when, all too rarely, they’re pummeled by passing neutrinos, creating a signal that physicists can detect. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026

Unlike oil, electrons can’t be shipped in barrels across oceans. —Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 7 May 2026

Part of the reason is due to its incredible weakness; the gravitational attraction between two electrons is more than forty orders of magnitude smaller than the electrostatic repulsion between two electrons. —Big Think, 6 May 2026

Clouds do have electric fields; tiny ice crystals rub against each other like socks against a carpet, and crystals with extra electrons tend to pile up at the bottom of the clouds. —Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

electr- + -on entry 2

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing electron

• Auger electron
• Auger electron spectroscopy
• electron cloud
• electron gas
• electron gun
• electron micrograph
• electron microscope
• electron multiplier
• electron optics
• electron probe
• electron transport
• electron tube
• electron volt
• free-electron laser
• scanning electron microscope
• valence electron

Rhymes for electron

• photoelectron

Kids Definition

electron

noun

elec·​tron i-ˈlek-ˌträn 

: an elementary particle that has a negative charge of electricity and travels around the nucleus of an atom

Medical Definition

electron

noun

elec·​tron i-ˈlek-ˌträn 

: an elementary particle consisting of a charge of negative electricity equal to about 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ coulomb and having a mass when at rest of about 9.109534 × 10⁻²⁸ gram or about ¹/₁₈₃₆ that of a proton