1
: the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet see Alphabet Table
2
: a short-lived elementary particle of the lepton family that exists in positive and negative charge states and has a mass about 3500 times greater than an electron
called also tau particle
3
: a protein that binds to and regulates the assembly and stability of neuronal microtubules and that is found in an abnormal form as the major component of neurofibrillary tangles
Examples of tau in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Two sets of similar but heavier particles can pop into brief existence: the muon, muon neutrino, charm quark, and strange quark; and the tau, tau neutrino, top quark, and bottom quark.
—
Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024
When people with high levels of tau — who are thought to be further along in the disease — were included, the benefit compared with placebo was 22%.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tau 
Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024
When people with high levels of tau — who are thought to be further along in the disease — were included, the benefit compared with placebo was 22%.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tau
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“Tau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tau. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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tau
noun
ˈtau̇ 
ˈtȯ
: the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet
—Τ or τ
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