quark

[ kwawrk, kwahrk ]

noun

1. Physics. any of the hypothetical particles with spin 1/2, baryon number 1/3, and electric charge 1/3 or −2/3 that, together with their antiparticles, are believed to constitute all the elementary particles classed as baryons and mesons; they are distinguished by their flavors, designated as up (u), down (d), strange (s), charm (c), bottom or beauty (b), and top or truth (t), and their colors, red, green, and blue. Compare color ( def 18 ), flavor ( def 5 ), quantum chromodynamics, quark model.

quark

¹

/ kwɑːk /

noun

1. a type of low-fat soft cheese

quark

²

/ kwɑːk /

noun

1. physics any of a set of six hypothetical elementary particles together with their antiparticles thought to be fundamental units of all baryons and mesons but unable to exist in isolation. The magnitude of their charge is either two thirds or one third of that of the electron

quark

/ kwôrk,kwärk /

1. Any of a group of elementary particles supposed to be the fundamental units that combine to make up the subatomic particles known as hadrons (baryons, such as neutrons and protons, and mesons). There are six different flavors (or types) of quark: up quark, down quark, top quark, bottom quark, charm quark, and strange quark. Quarks have fractional electric charges, such as 1 3 the charge of an electron.
2. See Note at elementary particleSee Table at subatomic particle

Word History and Origins

Origin of quark¹

Coined in 1963 by U.S. physicist Murray Gell-Mann (1929–2019), who associated it with a word in Joyce's Finnegans Wake, read variously as English quark croak and German Quark curd, (slang) rubbish, tripe

Word History and Origins

Origin of quark¹

from German

Origin of quark²

C20: coined by James Joyce in the novel Finnegans Wake, and given special application in physics

Example Sentences

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

From Salon

Immediately following the Big Bang, physicists estimate, based on QCD, that the universe was an immensely hot plasma of quarks and gluons that then quickly cooled and combined to produce protons and neutrons.

From Science Daily

For example, many people prefer the creamy consistency of quark and yogurt.

From Science Daily

It's what "glues" quarks together to make up other subatomic particles, such as protons or neutrons.

From Science Daily

The event gave rise to an abundance of subatomic particles such as quarks and electrons.

From Science Daily