muon

noun

mu·on ˈmyü-ˌän

: an unstable lepton that is common in the cosmic radiation near the earth's surface, has a mass about 207 times the mass of the electron, and exists in negative and positive forms

muonic

myü-ˈä-nik

adjective

Examples of muon in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The muon’s magnet would typically rotate to align along the axis of the magnetic field, much like a compass does in Earth’s magnetic field. — ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2026 The team is now exploring the feasibility of using muons, one of the fundamental subatomic particles, in a future high-energy muon collider. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026 To make sure the muons and electrons detected by the detectors really come from neutrino interactions, the detectors need to be placed deep underground where other cosmic particles cannot reach. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 13 May 2026 By carefully measuring the energy and momentum of muons produced in about 100 million collisions thought to have created W bosons, the physicists arrived at their new mass estimate. — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for muon

Word History

Etymology

contraction of earlier mu-meson, from mu

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of muon was in 1951

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Muntz metal

muon

Muong

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Style

“Muon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muon. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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muon

noun

Examples of muon in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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