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

For example, copper ions are involved in antioxidant defense.

From Science Daily

However, so far it has been observed that these cathode materials 'age' rapidly: the cathode material degrades as a result to the back-and-forth migration of lithium ions during charging and discharging.

From Science Daily

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

Ribosomes are dependent upon magnesium ions since this metal cation helps stabilize their structure and function.

From Science Daily

Bonds between the other metal ions and the oxygen ions are also broken.

From Science Daily