ion

¹

[ ahy-uhn, ahy-on ]

noun

, Physics, Chemistry.

1. an electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed by the loss or gain of one or more electrons, as a cation positive ion, which is created by electron loss and is attracted to the cathode in electrolysis, or as an anion negative ion, which is created by an electron gain and is attracted to the anode. The valence of an ion is equal to the number of electrons lost or gained and is indicated by a plus sign for cations and a minus sign for anions, thus: Na + , Cl−, Ca ++ , S = .
2. one of the electrically charged particles formed in a gas by electric discharge or the like.

Ion

²

[ ahy-on ]

noun

1. Classical Mythology. the eponymous ancestor of the Ionians: a son of Apollo and Creusa who is abandoned by his mother but returns to become an attendant in Apollo's temple at Delphi.
2. (italics) a drama on this subject (415? b.c.) by Euripides.

-ion

³

1. a suffix, appearing in words of Latin origin, denoting action or condition, used in Latin and in English to form nouns from stems of Latin adjectives ( communion; union ), verbs ( legion; opinion ), and especially past participles ( allusion; creation; fusion; notion; torsion ).

Ion.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. Ionic.

ion

¹

/ ˈaɪən; -ɒn /

noun

1. an electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed by the loss or gain of one or more electrons See also cation anion

-ion

²

suffix forming nouns

1. indicating an action, process, or state Compare -ation -tion

   objection

   creation

ion

/ ī′ən,ī′ŏn′ /

1. An atom or a group of atoms that has an electric charge. Positive ions, or cations, are formed by the loss of electrons; negative ions, or anions, are formed by the gain of electrons.

ion

1. An atom that has either lost or gained one or more electrons , so that it has an electrical charge . Ions can be either positively or negatively charged.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ion¹

< Greek ión going, neuter present participle of iénai to go; term introduced by Michael Faraday in 1834

Origin of ion²

< Latin -iōn- (stem of -iō ) suffix forming nouns, especially on past participle stems; replacing Middle English -ioun < Anglo-French < Latin -iōn-

Word History and Origins

Origin of ion¹

C19: from Greek, literally: going, from ienai to go

Origin of ion²

from Latin -iōn- , -io

Example Sentences

Fampridine acts on specific ion channels in nerve cells that, according to the researchers' analyses, also play a role in mental disorders such as schizophrenia.

From Science Daily

"There's a tremendous number of ways we can tune the metal ion and linker in MOFs, such that it may be possible to rationally design such adsorbents for other high-temperature gas separation processes relevant to industry and sustainability."

From Science Daily

A hazardous fire broke out in San Pedro around noon on Thursday after a big rig carrying lithium ion batteries overturned, causing at least one battery to explode, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times

Awareness of the issue is being raised after two recent cases of explosions in the back of bin lorries caused by discarded lithium ion batteries, which are found in vapes, being compressed by the lorry’s crusher.

From BBC

While Steve is only spotted in the presence of an aurora, it is not a normal aurora as scientists suggests it comprises of a fast-moving stream of extremely hot particles called a sub-auroral ion drift, or SAID.

From BBC