ion

[ ahy-uhn, ahy-on ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Physics, Chemistry.

an electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed by the loss or gain of one or more electrons, as a cation positive ion, which is created by electron loss and is attracted to the cathode in electrolysis, or as an anion negative ion, which is created by an electron gain and is attracted to the anode. The valence of an ion is equal to the number of electrons lost or gained and is indicated by a plus sign for cations and a minus sign for anions, thus: Na + , Cl−, Ca ++ , S = .
one of the electrically charged particles formed in a gas by electric discharge or the like.

Ion

[ ahy-on ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Classical Mythology. the eponymous ancestor of the Ionians: a son of Apollo and Creusa who is abandoned by his mother but returns to become an attendant in Apollo's temple at Delphi.
(italics) a drama on this subject (415? b.c.) by Euripides.

-ion

a suffix, appearing in words of Latin origin, denoting action or condition, used in Latin and in English to form nouns from stems of Latin adjectives ( communion; union ), verbs ( legion; opinion ), and especially past participles ( allusion; creation; fusion; notion; torsion ).

Ion.

⁴

abbreviation for

Ionic.

ion

/ ˈaɪən; -ɒn /

noun

an electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed by the loss or gain of one or more electrons See also cation anion

-ion

suffix forming nouns

indicating an action, process, or state Compare -ation -tion
objection
creation

ion

/ ī′ən,ī′ŏn′ /

An atom or a group of atoms that has an electric charge. Positive ions, or cations, are formed by the loss of electrons; negative ions, or anions, are formed by the gain of electrons.

ion

An atom that has either lost or gained one or more electrons , so that it has an electrical charge . Ions can be either positively or negatively charged.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of ion¹

< Greek ión going, neuter present participle of iénai to go; term introduced by Michael Faraday in 1834

Origin of ion²

< Latin -iōn- (stem of -iō ) suffix forming nouns, especially on past participle stems; replacing Middle English -ioun < Anglo-French < Latin -iōn-

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Word History and Origins

Origin of ion¹

C19: from Greek, literally: going, from ienai to go

Origin of ion²

from Latin -iōn- , -io

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Example Sentences

The effort required more than 1,500 people — EPA staff, state workers, some members of the military — in nearly 50 teams “doing reconnaissance, hazardous materials removal and lithium ion battery work.”

From Los Angeles Times

Environmental Protection Agency began the first phase of the fire debris cleanup Jan. 28, removing hazardous materials such as paint, cleaners and solvents, oils, pesticides, lithium ion batteries and asbestos from the burned areas.

From Los Angeles Times

Depending on the severity of the crash, an electric vehicle’s high-voltage, lithium ion battery could be at risk of being damaged, catching fire or delivering an electric shock to anyone who touches it.

From Los Angeles Times

Hydrogen fluoride is a highly toxic gas produced by lithium ion battery fires that can cause severe respiratory damage as well as skin and eye burns.

From Los Angeles Times

Sunlight compounds the effect by triggering a process called photoreduction, which turns silver ions into metallic silver or related compounds.

From Salon

Io moth Iona

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