quasiparticle

noun qua·si·par·ti·cle \ ˌkwā-ˌzī-ˈpär-ti-kəl , -ˌsī- , ˌkwä-zē- , -sē- \

Definition of quasiparticle

: a composite entity (such as a vibration in a solid) that is analogous in its behavior to a single particle

Recent Examples of quasiparticle from the Web

There is no better demonstration of that than the world of quasiparticles.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "Giant atom hides its neighbors under a single-electron skirt," 7 Mar. 2018
The quasiparticles produced here, called Majorana fermions, are their own antimatter.

— shannon palus, Discover Magazine, "Electrons ‘Split’ in New Form of Matter," 22 Dec. 2016
One possibility is a type of neutral quasiparticle known as a spinon, which carries spin and not charge.

— maggie mckee, WIRED, "The Physicist Who Might Have Discovered a New Building Block of Matter," 24 June 2016

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