DictionaryRoot: prōtos
Greek

prōtos

first

3 / 4
A simplified helium atom model with two positively marked protons and two unmarked neutrons clustered in its nucleus, surrounded by two small negative electrons.
noun

proton

PROH-tahn/ˈprəʊtɑːn/

A positively charged particle found in an atom's nucleus.

Etymology

The name draws on Greek “first,” supposedly because hydrogen, whose commonest nucleus is a single proton, was thought to be a constituent of all elements.

Full entry

Related word entries