positron

Definition

The antimatter equivalent of an electron, having the same mass but a positive charge.

Etymology

From positive + -tron (electron). Coined by American physicist Carl Anderson in 1932 to replace the earlier term antielectron.

Example Sentences

• "The notion of a positron weapon remains the stuff of science fiction."
• "If these particles carry unit positive charge the curvatures and ionizations produced require the mass to be less than twenty times the electron mass. These particles will be called positrons."