# boson

/bˈɒsən/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boson
Updated: 2026-05-27

## Definition

a type of tiny particle that carries a force, like the photon for light. These particles follow special rules that let many of them exist in the same place at once.

For teachers: a subatomic particle that follows Bose-Einstein statistics and has an integer value of spin. These particles are the force carriers of the fundamental interactions, such as the photon for electromagnetism.

## Examples

- The photon is a well-known example of a boson.
- In the Standard Model of particle physics, bosons are responsible for mediating the fundamental forces between fermions.
- The discovery of the Higgs boson provided experimental confirmation of the mechanism by which particles acquire mass through their interaction with the Higgs field.

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