neutron

noun

neu·tron | \ ˈnü-ˌträn

, ˈnyü- \

Definition of neutron

: an uncharged elementary particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton and is present in all known atomic nuclei except the hydrogen nucleus

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Examples of neutron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Astronomers realized subsequently that there are, in fact, some 100 million neutron stars in our Milky Way galaxy alone—and a billion times more in the observable universe. — Avi Loeb, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2021 Most pulsars are now understood to be neutron stars, the extraordinarily dense husks of collapsed supergiants. — Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2021 Most pulsars are now understood to be neutron stars, the extraordinarily dense husks of collapsed supergiants. — BostonGlobe.com, 18 Sep. 2021 Heavy water is a rarer version of the far more commonplace H2O, or normal water, in which ordinary hydrogen has been replaced with deuterium—that is, with hydrogen atoms bearing an extra neutron. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 2 June 2021 The answer is quite a lot, according to scientists trying to understand the nature of matter in neutron stars, the early universe and other extreme conditions. — Frank Wilczek, WSJ, 29 July 2021 The Office of Science is the main U.S. builder of large scientific machines such as atom smashers, x-ray synchrotrons, and neutron sources. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, 27 May 2021 The basic structure of beta decay is a neutron decays into a proton, electron, and neutrino. — Don Lincoln, Forbes, 18 May 2021 The neutron beam scatters according to the chemical makeup of the metal scrap. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 15 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'neutron.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near neutron

neutroceptor

neutron

neutron activation analysis

Statistics for neutron

Last Updated

1 Oct 2021

Cite this Entry

“Neutron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neutron. Accessed 19 Oct. 2021.

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More Definitions for neutron

neutron

noun

English Language Learners Definition of neutron

: a very small particle of matter that has no electrical charge and is part of the nucleus of all atoms except hydrogen atoms

See the full definition for neutron in the English Language Learners Dictionary

neutron

noun

neu·tron | \ ˈnü-ˌträn

, ˈnyü- \

Kids Definition of neutron

: a particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton but no electrical charge and that is present in all atomic nuclei except those of hydrogen

neutron

noun

neu·tron | \ ˈn(y)ü-ˌträn

Medical Definition of neutron

: an uncharged elementary particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton and is present in all known atomic nuclei except the hydrogen nucleus