triton1
/ˈtrʌɪt(ə)n
/noun
A large mollusc which has a tall spiral shell with a large aperture, living in tropical and subtropical seas.
- Genus Charonia, family Cymatiidae, class Gastropoda, in particular C. tritonis, which is used as a trumpet shell.
- Various environmental factors have favoured this population explosion, but one of the main causes is the popularity among collectors of the triton's shell.
- All were available in plain or patinated brass or copper, and they included a variety of shells, such as Philippine, chiton, limpet, melon, triton, sea conch, and nautilus.
Origin
Late 18th century: from Triton.
Rhymes
triton2
/ˈtrʌɪt(ə)n/noun
A nucleus of a tritium atom, consisting of a proton and two neutrons.Protons, deuterons, and tritons would begin fusing with each other, releasing more energy, and initiating other fusion reactions among other hydrogen isotopes....
- The raw spectra of protons, deuterons, tritons and alpha particles were fitted with a three moving source prescription.
- Recent experimental data have shown that the same model systematically overpredicts the deuteron and triton yields observed at higher excitation energies up to 405 MeV.
Origin
1940s: from tritium + -on.
Triton3
/ˈtrʌɪt(ə)n/1 Greek Mythology A minor sea god usually represented as a man with a fish’s tail and carrying a trident and shell-trumpet.
2 Astronomy The largest satellite of Neptune, the seventh closest to the planet and having a retrograde orbit and a thin nitrogen atmosphere, discovered in 1846 (diameter 2,700 km).