triton

¹

[ trahy-ton ]

noun

, Physics.

1. a positively-charged particle consisting of a proton and two neutrons, equivalent to the nucleus of an atom of tritium.

Triton

²

[ trahyt-n ]

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, represented as having the head and trunk of a man and the tail of a fish, and as using a conch-shell trumpet.
2. Astronomy. a moon of Neptune.
3. (lowercase) any of various marine gastropods of the family Cymatiidae, having a large, spiral, often beautifully colored shell.
4. (lowercase) the shell of a triton.

Triton

¹

/ ˈtraɪtən /

noun

1. the largest satellite of the planet Neptune. Diameter: 2700 km

triton

²

/ ˈtraɪtən /

noun

1. any of various chiefly tropical marine gastropod molluscs of the genera Charonia , Cymatium , etc, having large beautifully-coloured spiral shells

triton

³

/ ˈtraɪtɒn /

noun

1. physics a nucleus of an atom of tritium, containing two neutrons and one proton

Triton

⁴

/ ˈtraɪtən /

noun

1. a sea god, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, depicted as having the upper parts of a man with a fish's tail and holding a trumpet made from a conch shell
2. one of a class of minor sea deities

Other Words From

• Tri·ton·ic [trahy-, ton, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of triton¹

1930–35; < Greek tríton, neuter of trítos third, equivalent to trí- tri- + -ton neuter adj. suffix; -on ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of triton¹

C16: via Latin from Greek tritōn

Origin of triton²

C20: from trit ( ium ) + -on

Example Sentences

Triton orbits the planet in a clockwise direction, the opposite of every other planet and major moon, indicating that it formed separately and later got snared by Neptune.

From Nautilus

Triton also left behind a set of thin, clumpy rings that bunch together in arcs, unlike any other formation in the solar system.

From Nautilus

Neptune’s system of moons is overwhelmingly dominated by a single large one, Triton, surrounded by 13 much smaller bodies, mostly in irregular, looping orbits.

From Nautilus

Both missions had beaten out their competitors, spacecraft proposed to explore Jupiter’s moon Io and Neptune’s moon Triton.

From Popular-Science

Triton is the largest moon of Neptune, and one of the most exotic worlds in the solar system.

From MIT Technology Review

Triton prices the 1000/3 LP at a cool $3.15 million—inclusive of pilot training.

From The Daily Beast

Triton will begin patrolling the seas with six ships based in Lampedusa and Porto Empedocle in Sicily on November 1.

From The Daily Beast

But the captain of the Triton was beforehand with a celerity which matched the up-to-date speed of his craft.

From Project Gutenberg

He confessed to himself that he had envied the master of the rushing Triton who had swaggered past as if he owned the sea.

From Project Gutenberg

I could go under and be happy; go to old Triton, and wait for you; teach him to speak your proper Christian name.

From Project Gutenberg

Triton was his father's trumpeter, and at Neptune's command he blew upon his conch-shell to calm the restless sea.

From Project Gutenberg

Within this niche a marble Triton poured through his conch-shell a continuous stream.

From Project Gutenberg