SINCE 1828
baryon
noun
bary·on
| \ ˈber-ē-ˌän
, ˈba-rē-\
, ˈba-rē-\
Definition of baryon
: any of a group of subatomic particles (such as nucleons) that are subject to the strong force and are composed of three quarks
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Other Words from baryon
baryonic
\ ˌber-ē-ˈä-nik
, ˌba-rē- \
adjective
, ˌba-rē- \
adjective
Examples of baryon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The heavier pentaquarks have masses just below the sum of the same baryon and a related meson with extra internal energy. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "Exotic particles called pentaquarks may be less weird than previously thought," 5 June 2019 In other words, the ratio of baryons, which include protons and neutrons, to photons, which light is made of, would have to shrink. — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, "Why Alternate Universes Might Also Host Life Around their Stars," 26 Sep. 2018 Dark matter makes up about 27 percent of the universe, but scientists know little about it except that it’s not made of normal matter particles called baryons. — Washington Post, "Astronomers glimpse cosmic dawn, when the stars switched on," 28 Feb. 2018 But by corralling huge numbers of baryons together, the people behind Super-Kamiokande hoped to spot one decaying much sooner, in just a few years. — The Economist, "Particle physicsFundamental physics is frustrating physicists," 13 Jan. 2018 Magazines, screens, and air are made of atoms, and atoms are largely made of protons and neutrons – which are the most familiar examples of the three-quark bundles that physicists call baryons. — Charlie Wood, The Christian Science Monitor, "Fusion breakthrough explained: What are quarks again?," 11 Dec. 2017 Using observatories that can see ultraviolet radiation, like the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have spotted enough WHIM to account for about 50% to 70% of the missing baryons—still leaving a significant fraction unaccounted for. — Adam Mann, Science | AAAS, "Astronomers say they’ve found many of the universe’s missing atoms," 10 Oct. 2017 The most famous baryons are protons and neutrons, which make up everyday matter. — Fox News, "‘Charming’ heavy particle discovered at world’s largest atom smasher," 11 July 2017 In the natural world, baryons have at most one heavy quark. — Seth Borenstein, The Seattle Times, "Physicists find new particle with a double dose of charm," 6 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'baryon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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