Fission

Pronunciation

• enPR: fÄ­'shÉ™n, IPA: /ˈfɪʃən/, /ˈfɪʒən/
• Rhymes: -ɪʃən, -ɪʒən

Origin

From Latin fissiōnem, accusative singular of fissiō ("the act of breaking up"), from findō ("split, divide").

Full definition of fission

Noun

1. The process whereby one item splits to become two.
2. (physics) The process of splitting the nucleus of an atom into smaller particles; nuclear fission
3. (biology) The process by which a bacterium splits to form two daughter cells.

Antonyms

• (process of splitting the nucleus of an atom) fusion

Derived terms

• fissile
• fissionable
• fissional
• fission bomb

Verb

1. To cause to undergo fission.
2. (intransitive) To undergo fission.