nucleon

noun

nu·​cle·​on ˈnü-klē-ˌän 

ˈnyü-

1

: a proton or neutron especially in the atomic nucleus

2

: a hypothetical single entity with one-half unit of isospin that can manifest itself as either a proton or a neutron

nucleonic

ˌnü-klē-ˈä-nik 

ˌnyü-

adjective

Examples of nucleon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These resonances are abundant, accounting for roughly 43 percent of nucleon production at the LHC. — Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026

It’s made up of a central nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons, called nucleons, with electrons orbiting around the nucleus. — Artemis Spyrou, Discover Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024

This residual intranuclear binding force is much weaker than the strong force inside the nucleon. — Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

But the theory of the strong force was not developed to explain how nucleons stick together. — WIRED, 10 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

nucleon

noun

nu·​cle·​on ˈn(y)ü-klē-ˌän 

: a nuclear particle:

a

: proton

b

: neutron

nucleonic

ˌn(y)ü-klē-ˈän-ik 

adjective