micron

American  

[mahy-kron] / ˈmaɪ krɒn /

Or mikron

noun

plural

microns, micra

1. Also called micrometer.  the millionth part of a meter. μ, mu

2. Physical Chemistry. a colloidal particle whose diameter is between 0.2 and 10 microns.

3. Physics. a very small unit of pressure, equal to that exerted by a column of mercury 1μ high.

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micron British  

/ ˈmaɪkrɒn /

noun

1. a unit of length equal to 10 ^–6 metre. It is being replaced by the micrometre, the equivalent SI unit

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micron Scientific  

/ mī′krŏn′ /

1. See micrometer

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Etymology

Origin of micron

1880–85; < Greek mīkrón a little, noun use of neuter singular of mīkrós small; -on ¹

Compare meaning

How does micron compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• micron vs. nanometer

Example Sentences

While cysts are microscopic, they are relatively large compared to other intracellular pathogens, reaching up to 80 microns across.

From Science Daily

In the new study, published in Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers addressed these challenges by using a focused ion beam capable of cutting with sub micron precision.

From Science Daily

Currently, the pixels are 100 microns wide, with 378 pixels on each chip.

From Science Daily

For SAI to work, particles must remain extremely small -- less than one micron in size.

From Science Daily

The dust's fine grains, just one or two microns in size, makes it easy to inhale and difficult to remove.

From Salon