Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *me
Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-?
Proto-Indo-European *-dʰe
Proto-Indo-European *médʰi
Proto-Indo-European *-os
Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos
Proto-Hellenic *métsos
Ancient Greek μέσος (mésos)der.
English meso-
Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron)bor.
Latin ēlectrum
Proto-Indo-European *-ikos
Proto-Italic *-ikos
Latin -icus
New Latin ēlectricusbor.
English electric
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti
Proto-Hellenic *éimi
Ancient Greek ἰόν (ión)der.
English ion
blend
English electronbf.
▲
Ancient Greek -ον (-on)influ.
English -on
English meson
From meso- + -on. Coined by Indian physicist Homi Bhabha in 1939, as a modification of the earlier suggestion mesotron.
Meanings
(obsolete) A member of a group of subatomic particles having a mass intermediate between electrons and protons. (The most easily detected mesons fit this definition.)
(particle, specifically) An elementary particle that is composed of a quark and an antiquark, such as a kaon or pion. (Mesons composed of rarer quarks are much heavier.)