noun. Any of the point particles proposed as a constituent of hadrons, now known as quarks.

noun. Any of the constituent particles making up a compound particle, i.e. the quarks and gluons which make up hadrons.

"The result was first interpreted within the framework of what is termed the parton model, which, however, soon came to be identified with the quark model."

Barton  Martin  Spartan  Tartan  barton  

pardon  patron