1. Plural of meson; subatomic particles composed of a quark and an antiquark, with a mass between that of electrons and protons.
Usage: physics; technical

Examples

• Mesons are unstable particles that decay rapidly into other particles.
• Scientists study mesons to understand the fundamental forces of nature.
• Pions and kaons are examples of mesons found in particle physics.
• The discovery of mesons helped physicists develop the standard model of particle physics.
• Mesons are produced when high-energy cosmic rays collide with Earth's atmosphere.