free electron en · NOUN
Meanings
- An electron not attached to an atom.
-
(figuratively) A person who acts independently of the organization to which they belong.
She has been called a “free electron” in politics because of her sometimes independent stances apart from party politics.
2012 October 22, Lolita Buckner-Inniss, “Christiane Taubira”, in Black Past:Haley was a free electron, which she had obviously gotten used to, communicating directly with Trump.
2020 June 23, John Bolton, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 71:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| free electrons | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Translations (7)
pt eletrão livre (electron not attached to an atom) · el ελεύθερο ηλεκτρόνιο (electron not attached to an atom) · cmn 自由電子 /自由电子 (electron not attached to an atom) · fi vapaa elektroni (electron not attached to an atom) · fr électron libre (electron not attached to an atom) · bg свободен електрон (electron not attached to an atom) · pl elektron swobodny (electron not attached to an atom)