Proton
/ˈproʊtɑːn/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA tiny positively charged particle inside an atom.
Extra definitions
nounA positively charged atomic particle.
nounA particle in an atomic nucleus.
nounA positive subatomic particle.
Sentence Examples
A proton has positive charge.
The nucleus contains protons.
The experiment measured proton energy.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
None
Word Origin & History
(anatomy): A translation of German Anlage (“fundamental thing”) based on Aristotle’s phrase ἡ πρώτη οὐσία τὸ πρῶτον (hē prṓtē ousía tò prôton).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
“The dance of the electrons about the prota, each electron and each proton consisting of a series of waves occupying the whole of the limited universe and obeying the laws of nature as they pass, is known to all.”
— 1931, C[harles] G[eorge] Crump, The Red King Dreams, 1946 - 1948, 24 Russell Square: Faber & Faber Limited, page 302:
“It is a well authenticated fact that, in the case of section of a peripheral nerve, the nuclei of the sheath of Schwann pass to the centre of the lumen and form the protoplasmic prota of the segments of the new nerve[…]. From studies of the development of the olfactory organs in reptiles, as reported briefly in earlier numbers of this Journal, the writer has been abundantly convinced of the truth of Beard’s statement that the olfactory prota arise from the skin[…].”
— 1898 July, “Contributed Articles”, in C[larence] L[uther] Herrick, editor, The Journal of Comparative Neurology: A Quarterly Periodical Devoted to the Comparative Study of the Nervous System, volume VIII, number 1; 2, Granville, Oh.: […] C[harles] Judson Herrick; […], pages 27 (C. L. H., […]) and 32–33 (C. L. H.; G[eorge] E[llett] Coghill, […]):
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CEFR Practice Quiz
A ____ has positive charge.