ScienceJuly 5, 2026

astroparticle

/ˌæstroʊˈpɑːrtɪkəl/

Definition

Relating to the study of subatomic particles and their connection to cosmic phenomena, high-energy events, and the evolution of the universe.

Etymology

The word is a portmanteau combining 'astro-' (from the Greek astron, meaning star) and 'particle' (from the Latin particula, meaning small part). It was coined in the 20th century to describe the interdisciplinary field bridging particle physics and astrophysics.

In the news

The term appears in the name of the 'Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics,' which is the academic publication where the researchers' findings about the massive, unexpected space structures were featured.

Scientists Found An Enormous Structure In Space That Shouldn't Exist

Read the full article ↗

IFLScience

Related words

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.