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
Normally, only small amounts of tau can be found in the cytoplasm or the cellular fluid.
—
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Carbonic anhydrase inhibition ameliorates tau toxicity via enhanced tau secretion.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
After identifying that accumulation of toxic tau and amyloid proteins in the brain are a feature of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have, understandably, been working on treatments that reduce or eliminate them.
—New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024
Fermilab physicists discovered the massive bottom quark, the heavier top quark, and the wispy tau neutrino.
—Byadrian Cho, science.org, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tau 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Carbonic anhydrase inhibition ameliorates tau toxicity via enhanced tau secretion.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
After identifying that accumulation of toxic tau and amyloid proteins in the brain are a feature of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have, understandably, been working on treatments that reduce or eliminate them.
—New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024
Fermilab physicists discovered the massive bottom quark, the heavier top quark, and the wispy tau neutrino.
—Byadrian Cho, science.org, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tau
Articles Related to tau
Dictionary Entries Near tau
Cite this Entry
“Tau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tau. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tau
noun
ˈtau̇ 
ˈtȯ
: the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet
—Τ or τ
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share