Compton

[ komp-tuhn ]

noun
  1. Arthur Hol·ly [hol-ee], /ˈhɒl i/, 1892–1962, U.S. physicist: Nobel Prize 1927.

  2. his brother, Karl Taylor [kahrl], /kɑrl/, 1887–1954, U.S. physicist.

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

  2. a city in SW California.

Words Nearby Compton

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Compton in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Compton

Compton

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

  2. (ˈkʌmptən) 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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Compton

Compton

[ kŏmptən ]


  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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.