proton
pronunciation
How to pronounce proton in British English:
UK [ˈprəʊtɒn]
How to pronounce proton in American English:
US [ˈproʊtɑːn]
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- Noun:
- a stable particle with positive charge equal to the negative charge of an electron
Word Origin
- proton (n.)
- 1920 in physics, coined by English physicist Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) from noun use of Greek proton, neuter of protos "first" (see proto-), on analogy of electron; supposedly because hydrogen was hypothesized as a constituent of all the elements. The word was used earlier in embryology (1893) as a translation of German anlage ("fundamental thing") based on Aristotle's phrase he prote ousia to proton.