fermion

noun

fer·​mi·​on ˈfer-mē-ˌän How to pronounce fermion (audio)
ˈfər-
: a particle (such as an electron, proton, or neutron) whose spin quantum number is an odd multiple of ¹/₂ compare boson
fermionic adjective

Examples of fermion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But many of the matter particles that make up our world, such as electrons, are fermions, which have half-integer amounts of spin. Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024 Very roughly, the idea would be that left-handed fermions live on one sheet, right-handed fermions live on the other, and bosons — the force-carrying particles of the Standard Model — live on both. Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024 This possibility arises from a fundamental difference between bosons and fermions. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2022 There, the buses are fermions, and always arrive exactly on time. Daniel Holz, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2010 See all Example Sentences for fermion 

Word History

Etymology

Enrico Fermi + English -on entry 2

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fermion was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near fermion

Cite this Entry

“Fermion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fermion. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fermion

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!