baryon

noun

bary·​on ˈber-ē-ˌän 

ˈba-rē-

: any of a group of subatomic particles (such as nucleons) that are subject to the strong force and are composed of three quarks

baryonic

ˌber-ē-ˈä-nik 

ˌba-rē-

adjective

Examples of baryon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the smallest scales, the strong nuclear force binds quarks into bound structures, three-at-a-time, known as baryons. —Big Think, 16 Oct. 2025

However, factoring in the consumption of baryons in the form of dead star matter and their conversion to dark energy in the CCBH hypothesis eliminates this non-physical mass headache. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2025

In the new experiment, scientists observed that baryons made of an up quark, a down quark and one of their more exotic cousins called a beauty quark decay more often than baryons made of the antimatter versions of those same three quarks. —Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 16 July 2025

But the rest of the universe is made of cosmic baryons, or ordinary matter, which can be found in tiny particles called protons and neutrons. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek barýs "heavy" + -on entry 2; so named from their greater mass relative to other subatomic particles known at the time — more at grave entry 2

Note: The name was introduced by the Dutch-American physicist Abraham Pais (1918-2000) in "On the Baryon-Meson-Photon," Progress of Theoretical Physics, vol. 10, No. 4 (October, 1953), pp. 457-69. The substance of the paper was presented at the International Conference on Theoretical Physics held in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan in September of 1953.

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for baryon

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon