noun
- Plural of fermion; subatomic particles that have half-integer spin and obey the Pauli exclusion principle, including electrons, quarks, and neutrinos.
Usage: physics; technical
Examples
- Electrons and quarks are examples of fermions.
- Fermions make up the matter we observe in the universe.
- The Pauli exclusion principle prevents two identical fermions from occupying the same quantum state.
- Physicists study fermions to understand the fundamental structure of matter.
- Unlike bosons, fermions cannot occupy the same space with identical quantum numbers.