loose electron
nounUK /luːs ɪˈlɛktrɒn/
US /luːs ɪˈlɛktrɑːn/
An electron that has broken free from its atom and can move around on its own.
When the loose electron drifted through the wire, it carried a tiny bit of electric charge with it.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. An electron not tightly held by an atom, often responsible for electrical conductivity in metals.
The loose electrons in copper allow it to carry electricity so well.
3. A charged particle drifting freely in space or in a plasma.
Loose electrons in the plasma glowed as they zipped past the spacecraft.
4. In informal science talk, an electron that has escaped its usual orbit.
The experiment knocked a loose electron out of the atom.