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pion definition

pion (pī′än′)

noun

Particle Physics any of three short-lived mesons that may be positive, negative, or neutral: pions have a mass c. 270 times that of an electron and play an important role in the binding forces within the nucleus of an atom

Etymology: pi + (mes)on

Related Forms:

  • pionic pi·on′ic (pī än′ik) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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