Compton
[ komp-tuh n ]
/ ˈkɒmp tən /
noun
Arthur Hol·ly
[hol-ee] /ˈhɒl i/,1892–1962,
U.S. physicist: Nobel Prize 1927.
his brotherKarl Taylor
[kahrl] /kɑrl/,1887–1954,
U.S. physicist.
Spencer, Earl of Wilmington,1673?–1743,
British statesman: prime minister 1742–43.
a city in SW California.
Example sentences from the Web for compton
British Dictionary definitions for compton
Compton
noun
(ˈkɒmptən)
Arthur Holly. 1892–1962, US physicist, noted for his research on X-rays, gamma rays, and nuclear energy: Nobel prize for physics 1927
(ˈkʌmptən)
Denis . 1918–97, English cricketer, who played for Middlesex and England (1937–57); broke two records in 1947 scoring 3816 runs and 18 centuries in one season
Scientific definitions for compton
Compton
[ kŏmp′tən ]
American physicist who showed that when particles of light (called photons) collide with other particles, such as electrons, they lose energy and momentum and the light's wavelength increases. For his discovery of this phenomenon (which became known as the Compton effect) he shared the 1927 Nobel Prize for physics with Charles Wilson. He also discovered the electrical nature of cosmic rays.