baryon

views updated Jun 11 2018

baryon Any elementary particle affected by the strong interaction of nuclear force. A baryon consists of three quarks. Baryons are subclasses of the hadron group of subatomic particles. The only stable baryons are the proton and (provided it is inside a nucleus) the neutron. Heavier baryons are hyperons. See also lepton; meson

baryon

views updated Jun 11 2018

bar·y·on / ˈbarēˌän/ • n. Physics a subatomic particle, such as a nucleon or hyperon, that has a mass equal to or greater than that of a proton.DERIVATIVES: bar·y·on·ic / ˌbarēˈänik/ adj.