-on

/-ɒn//-ən/

suffix

Forming nouns denoting subatomic particles and quanta.

“codon, recon”

OriginEnglish electronbf. ← Ancient Greek ἰόν (ión) ← Proto-Hellenic *éimi →
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Meanings

-on1

suffix
  1. mathematicsForming nouns denoting subatomic particles and quanta.

    photon, proton

-on2

suffix
  1. chemistryForming names of noble gases and certain nonmetal elements.

    boron, silicon

-on3

suffix
  1. biologyForming names of things considered as basic or fundamental units.

    codon, recon

-on4

suffix
  1. Forms names for chemical compounds, often proprietary.

Origin

-on · suffix

  1. Ancient Greekἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron)
  2. Latinēlectrum
  3. New Latinēlectricus
  4. Englishelectric
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ey-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éyti
  7. Proto-Hellenic*éimi
  8. Ancient Greekἰόν (ión)
  9. Englishion
  10. Englishelectronbf.
  11. English-on

Back-formation from electron, influenced by Ancient Greek -ον (-on).

Full word history & related roots →

-on · suffix

Back-formation from carbon, first applied to boron and then to silicon.

Full word history & related roots →

-on · suffix

From the combining form of -one, as in sulfon-ic. Compare also -thion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan -ó
  • -ó(physics) subatomic particles
Chinese Mandarin 子
  • 子 (zǐ)(physics) subatomic particles
Dutch -on
  • -on(physics) subatomic particles
French -on, -on
  • -on(physics) subatomic particles
  • -on(genetics) basic or fundamental units
German -on
  • -on(physics) subatomic particles
Hindi -अणु
  • -अणु (-aṇu)(physics) subatomic particles
Italian -one
  • -one(physics) subatomic particles
Japanese 子
  • 子 (shi)(physics) subatomic particles
Norwegian Bokmål -on, -on
  • -on(physics) subatomic particles
  • -on(chemistry) nonmetal element
  • -on(genetics) basic or fundamental units
Portuguese -ão, -on
  • -ão(physics) subatomic particles
  • -on(physics) subatomic particles
Russian -он, -он
  • -он (-on)(physics) subatomic particles
  • -он (-on)(genetics) basic or fundamental units
Spanish -ón
  • -ón(physics) subatomic particles
Cite this entry
APA

-on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-on

MLA

“-on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-on. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-on,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-on.

Source: -on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.