# gluon

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɡluː.ɒn/ · frequency rank #78,636

## Definitions
1. A massless gauge boson that binds quarks together to form baryons, mesons and other hadrons and is associated with the strong nuclear force.

## Etymology
From glue + -on. From being a particle (suffix "-on") that "glues" (attracts) together particles that feel the force carried by the gluon. Coined by American physicist Murray Gell-Mann in 1962.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gluon