noun
electron
ih-LEHK-tron
noun
1
A tiny particle with a negative electric charge that orbits the nucleus of an atom; the flow of electrons through a conductor is what we call electricity.
"Electrons jump between atoms to carry an electric current through a wire."
"Each atom has a specific number of electrons arranged in shells around its nucleus."
How to Use Electron
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOne of the tiny negatively-charged particles that move around the center of an atom and carry electric current.
Common pairings
electron shell
free electron
electron microscope
Word Forms
electrons plural
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_____ jump between atoms to carry an electric current through a wire.
Etymology
Coined around 1891 by physicist George Stoney, blending "electric" and "ion" to name the unit of electric charge; the word later came to mean the particle itself.