Meson
/ˈmiːzɒn/noun
A subatomic particle that mediates the strong nuclear force between hadrons.
Did you know?The term meson was coined in 1939 from Greek meso- (“middle”), because these particles were once thought to sit in mass between electrons and protons.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*medhyo-
“middle, in the middle”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέσος (mesos)
“middle, central, intermediate”
1930s
English
meson
“a proposed class of subatomic particles of intermediate mass”
Modern English
English
meson
“a subatomic particle made of a quark and an antiquark”
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