electron volt

noun

: a unit of energy equal to the energy gained by an electron in passing from a point of low potential to a point one volt higher in potential : 1.60 × 10−19 joule

Examples of electron volt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Partial but significant signal STAR’s new data show exactly such a dip around 20 billion electron volts. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2025 Specifically, such calculations usually involve the electron volt (eV), a unit of energy for which 1 eV represents the charge of one electron. Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2025 The upshot is an X-ray source with an energy of more than 20,000 electron volts. David Szondy, New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2025 Silicon has a band gap of 1.1 electron volts, while silicon carbide’s ranges from 3.3 to 3.4 eV. IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of electron volt was in 1930

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Cite this Entry

“Electron volt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electron%20volt. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

electron volt

noun
: a unit of energy equal to the energy gained by an electron in passing from a point of low potential to a point one volt higher in potential : 1.60 × 10−19 joule

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