dalton
|dal-ton|
/ˈdɔːltən/
small atomic mass; a surname
Etymology
'dalton' originates from the surname 'Dalton' (a Modern English surname), which was later used as the name of the unit to honor the chemist John Dalton.
'Dalton' (a surname) comes from Old English elements 'dæl' (valley) + 'tūn' (settlement or farm). The surname developed from place-names meaning 'valley settlement' and, in the 20th century, the name was adopted as the unit name 'dalton' for the unified atomic mass unit in honor of John Dalton.
Initially the lexical components referred to a place-name meaning 'valley settlement'; over time the surname became associated with John Dalton and was later extended to denote the atomic-mass unit now defined as 1/12 the mass of carbon-12.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a unit of mass used to express atomic and molecular masses, equal to 1/12 of the mass of an atom of carbon-12 (symbol: Da).
One dalton is approximately 1.66053906660×10^-27 kilograms.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a surname (e.g., John Dalton, the English chemist) or a reference to a person with that name.
dalton is the surname of the chemist who proposed an early atomic theory.
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/08/14 17:39