fermion

[ fur-mee-on ]

noun

, Physics.

1. any particle that obeys the exclusion principle and Fermi-Dirac statistics; fermions have spins that are half an odd integer: 1/2, 3/2, 5/2, …

fermion

/ ˈfɜːmɪˌɒn /

noun

1. any of a group of elementary particles, such as a nucleon, that has half-integral spin and obeys Fermi-Dirac statistics Compare boson

fermion

/ fûr′mē-ŏn′,fĕr′- /

1. An elementary or composite particle, such as an electron, quark, or proton, whose spin is an integer multiple of 1 2 . Fermions act on each other by exchanging bosons and are subject to the Pauli exclusion principle, which requires that no two fermions be in the same quantum state. Fermions are named after the physicist Enrico Fermi, who along with Paul Dirac developed quantum statistical models of their behavior.
2. Compare boson

Other Words From

• fermi·onic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fermion¹

First recorded in 1945–50; fermi + (mes)on

Word History and Origins

Origin of fermion¹

C20: named after Enrico Fermi ; see -on

Example Sentences

It involves a problem called the Fermi-Hubbard model, which describes the behavior of a class of subatomic particles known as fermions—a group that includes electrons—as they hop around within a solid.

From Fortune