noun
- a hypothetical atom composed of antimatter, with the same structure as a normal atom but with antiparticles replacing ordinary particles.
Usage: physics; theoretical
Examples
- Scientists theorize that an antiatom would annihilate upon contact with ordinary matter.
- The study of antiatoms helps physicists understand the nature of antimatter.
- An antiatom of hydrogen would consist of a positron orbiting an antiproton.
- Researchers have attempted to create and observe antiatoms in particle accelerators.
- The properties of an antiatom mirror those of its matter counterpart.