noun
tachyon
TAK-ee-on
noun
1
A hypothetical particle that would always travel faster than light.
"Science fiction writers love using tachyons to explain time travel."
How to Use Tachyon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA theoretical faster-than-light particle that has never actually been observed.
Memory tip
Tachyons are a physics thought experiment, not a confirmed real particle.
Trace the full origin ↓Word Forms
tachyons plural
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Science fiction writers love using _____ to explain time travel.
Etymology
Coined in 1967 by physicist Gerald Feinberg from Greek takhus, "swift," plus the particle-naming suffix "-on."