Substance
neutron Audio
neu·tron [ noo-tron, nyoo- ]
Subclass of:
Nucleons
Etymology:
Latin neuter = neither
A name coined in 1921 for an electrically neutral particle.
Definitions related to neutrons:
  • An elementary particle with 0 charge and a mass about equal to that of a proton.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Electrically neutral elementary particles found in all atomic nuclei except light hydrogen; the mass is equal to that of the proton and electron combined and they are unstable when isolated from the nucleus, undergoing beta decay. Slow, thermal, epithermal, and fast neutrons refer to the energy levels with which the neutrons are ejected from heavier nuclei during their decay.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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