electron volt

noun

: a unit of energy equal to the energy gained by an electron in passing from a point of low potential to a point one volt higher in potential : 1.60 × 10−19 joule

Examples of electron volt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The current prototype has a capacity of only a few billion electron volts, barely enough to power anything. — New Atlas, 4 Apr. 2026 Specifically, a sterile neutrino weighing one or two electron volts, a unit of mass and energy, seemed to tie everything together. — Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026 Colliding protons at record-setting energies of almost 14 trillion electron volts (TeV), the LHC became the world’s most powerful collider and redrew the map of experimental particle physics. — Florencia Canelli, Scientific American, 1 July 2026 The 200+200 giga-electron volt proton-proton collider was designed to use advanced superconducting magnets cooled by a massive helium refrigeration system to produce high-energy collisions. — IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for electron volt

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of electron volt was in 1930

Rhymes for electron volt

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Browse Nearby Words

electron tube
electron volt
electrooculogram
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Cite this Entry

“Electron volt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electron%20volt. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

electron volt

noun
: a unit of energy equal to the energy gained by an electron in passing from a point of low potential to a point one volt higher in potential : 1.60 × 10−19 joule

More from Merriam-Webster on electron volt

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about electron volt

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