RUTHERFORD

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Rutherford mean? 

• RUTHERFORD (noun)
  The noun RUTHERFORD has 3 senses:

1. a unit strength of a radioactive source equal to one million disintegrations per second

2. British chemist who isolated nitrogen (1749-1819)

3. British physicist (born in New Zealand) who discovered the atomic nucleus and proposed a nuclear model of the atom (1871-1937)

  Familiarity information: RUTHERFORD used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RUTHERFORD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A unit strength of a radioactive source equal to one million disintegrations per second

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Hypernyms ("rutherford" is a kind of...):

radioactivity unit (a measure of radioactivity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

British chemist who isolated nitrogen (1749-1819)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Daniel Rutherford; Rutherford

Instance hypernyms:

chemist (a scientist who specializes in chemistry)

Sense 3

Meaning:

British physicist (born in New Zealand) who discovered the atomic nucleus and proposed a nuclear model of the atom (1871-1937)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Ernest Rutherford; First Baron Rutherford; First Baron Rutherford of Nelson; Rutherford

Instance hypernyms:

physicist (a scientist trained in physics)