lepton

¹

[ lep-ton ]

noun

, plural lep·ta [lep, -t, uh].

1. an aluminum coin of modern Greece until the euro was adopted, one 100th of a drachma.
2. a small copper or bronze coin of ancient Greece.

lepton

²

[ lep-ton ]

noun

, Physics.

1. any of a class of particles with spin of ½ that are not subject to the strong force and that are believed to be truly elementary and not composed of quarks or other subunits. The leptons known or believed to exist are the electron and electron-neutrino, the muon and mu-neutrino, and the tau lepton and tau-neutrino.

lepton

¹

/ ˈlɛptɒn /

noun

1. physics any of a group of elementary particles and their antiparticles, such as an electron, muon, or neutrino, that participate in electromagnetic and weak interactions and have a half-integral spin

lepton

²

/ ˈlɛptɒn /

noun

1. a former Greek monetary unit worth one hundredth of a drachma
2. a small coin of ancient Greece

lepton

/ lĕp′tŏn′ /

1. Any of a family of elementary particles that interact through the weak force and do not participate in the strong force. Leptons include electrons, muons, tau particles, and their respective neutrinos, the electron neutrino, the muon neutrino, and the tau neutrino. The antiparticles of these six particles are also leptons.
2. Compare hadronSee Note at elementary particleSee Table at subatomic particle

lepton

1. Any one of six elementary particles that are one of the fundamental constituents of matter . Leptons are not affected by the strong force and are not normally found in the nucleus of the atom . The electron and the neutrino are examples of leptons.

Derived Forms

• lepˈtonic, adjective

Other Words From

• lep·tonic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lepton¹

First recorded in 1715–25; from Greek leptón (nómisma) “a small (coin),” noun use of neuter of leptós small; lepto-

Origin of lepton²

1948; < Greek, neuter of leptós small, slight; lepto-, -on ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of lepton¹

C20: from lepto- + -on

Origin of lepton²

from Greek lepton ( nomisma ) small (coin)

Example Sentences

Their approach attempts to illuminate a cosmological constant as well as the properties of leptons and quarks.

From Salon

Turner: As far as we know, the basic building blocks of matter are quarks and leptons; the rules that govern them are described by the quantum field theory called the Standard Model.

From New York Times

If the present hints of lepton universality violation hold up, they could provide long-sought guidance toward a more complete fundamental theory of particle physics.

From Scientific American

Subatomic particles appear to be breaking a rule called “lepton flavor universality.”

From Scientific American

But Dr. Patel and his colleagues have found more electron pairs than muon pairs, violating a principle called lepton universality.

From New York Times