: 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
Examples of neutron in a Sentence
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In the new work, Milton and her colleagues examined the ratio of different isotopes—forms of atoms with differing numbers of uncharged neutrons in their nucleus—of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur in maize cobs archaeologists had uncovered from the Chincha Valley.
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 11 Feb. 2026
The result is that all the protons and electrons in the star are crushed into neutrons, and the mass of the incredibly dense object remains comparable to the sun, but the size is comparable to a city, as explained by NASA.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The findings open a novel way to probe how quarks become bound into protons, neutrons, and other particles.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
This causes a blast of high-energy radiation called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), a final screech of gravitational waves, and sends out a spray of neutron-rich matter, which allows a process to occur that generates very heavy but unstable elements.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 11 Feb. 2026
The result is that all the protons and electrons in the star are crushed into neutrons, and the mass of the incredibly dense object remains comparable to the sun, but the size is comparable to a city, as explained by NASA.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The findings open a novel way to probe how quarks become bound into protons, neutrons, and other particles.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
This causes a blast of high-energy radiation called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), a final screech of gravitational waves, and sends out a spray of neutron-rich matter, which allows a process to occur that generates very heavy but unstable elements.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for neutron
Cite this Entry
“Neutron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neutron. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
neutron
noun
neu·tron
ˈn(y)ü-ˌträn 
: an uncharged atomic particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton and is present in all known atomic nuclei except the hydrogen nucleus
Medical Definition
neutron
noun
neu·tron
ˈn(y)ü-ˌträn
: 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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