gluon

noun

glu·​on ˈglü-ˌän How to pronounce gluon (audio)
: a hypothetical neutral massless particle held to bind together quarks to form hadrons

Examples of gluon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The photon and the gluons of the Standard Model are massless, whereas the massive Standard Model particles range from the electron, at about half-an-MeV, to the top quark, at 173 GeV. Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025 Their calculations show that a feeble interaction between the inflaton field and elementary particles called gluons would be sufficient to warm up inflation. Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025 Say two subatomic particles called gluons collide. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 6 Oct. 2025 At the highest energies, gold-ion collisions melt protons and neutrons into quark-gluon plasma, a fluid that once filled the early universe. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gluon

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gluon was in 1971

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gluon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gluon. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gluon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!