tau
tau Lexical Profile
tau Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The nineteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Τ, τ), transliterated as 't' and used as a symbol in mathematics, physics, and engineering.
"In electrical engineering, the Greek letter tau is commonly used to represent the time constant of a circuit."
A protein abundant in neurons of the central nervous system that stabilizes microtubules, whose abnormal aggregation is associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
"Neurologists examined the brain scans for tangled deposits of tau linked to cognitive decline."
An unstable subatomic particle belonging to the lepton family that carries a negative electric charge and has a mass roughly 3,500 times that of an electron.
"Particle physicists observed the rapid decay of the heavy tau in the high-energy collider experiment."
A T-shaped cross (crux commissa), especially one associated with Saint Anthony or the Franciscan order.
"The friar wore a simple wooden tau suspended from a cord around his neck."
• Rhymes for tau
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek tau (ταῦ), ultimately from the Phoenician letter taw, meaning 'mark' or 'cross'.