Compton

American  

[komp-tuhn] / ˈkɒmp tən /

noun

1. Arthur Holly 1892–1962, U.S. physicist: Nobel Prize 1927.

2. his brother Karl Taylor 1887–1954, U.S. physicist.

3. Spencer, Earl of Wilmington, 1673?–1743, British statesman: prime minister 1742–43.

4. a city in SW California.

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Compton British  

noun

1. Arthur Holly. 1892–1962, US physicist, noted for his research on X-rays, gamma rays, and nuclear energy: Nobel prize for physics 1927

2. Denis . 1918–97, English cricketer, who played for Middlesex and England (1937–57); broke two records in 1947 scoring 3816 runs and 18 centuries in one season

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Compton Scientific  

/ kŏmp′tən /

1. American physicist who showed that when particles of light (called photons) collide with other particles, such as electrons, they lose energy and momentum and the light's wavelength increases. For his discovery of this phenomenon (which became known as the Compton effect) he shared the 1927 Nobel Prize for physics with Charles Wilson. He also discovered the electrical nature of cosmic rays.

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Example Sentences

In Compton, the approach is taking a different shape, one formed by Mr. Wash’s own experience of incarceration and reentry.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Another depicts Compton High School as it once stood, contrasted with its newly rebuilt 31-acre campus, including a football field and a performing arts center funded in part by Compton native Dr. Dre.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

But at the Compton church, a security guard approached Villaraigosa and told him she’d worked on his 2005 campaign, while others promised to vote for him.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

The Compton born stand-up comedian and actor has been living with sickle cell disease since he was a child.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

He had only two weeks to train for Compton and, with the Olympic trials in July, two months to become America’s youngest elite 5,000-meter man.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand