word
Schrödinger's cat
SHROH-ding-erz KAT
ˈʃrəʊdɪŋərz kætListen
Hear it in a clear American voice. Slow it down to catch each syllable.
Syllable breakdown
Schrödinger'scat
Dictionary meaning
A famous thought experiment in quantum physics illustrating the paradox of quantum superposition: a cat sealed in a box is simultaneously alive and dead until the box is opened and the cat is observed.
History and origin
Named after Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger, who proposed the thought experiment in 1935.
Examples
- The manager joked that the pending decision was like Schrödinger's cat — neither approved nor rejected until it was announced.
Common mispronunciations
SHRO-din-gerzSHROD-in-ger's
Learn one new pronunciation a day
Get a word, name or idiom like “Schrödinger's cat” in your inbox — daily or weekly, free. Unsubscribe any time.
Something wrong? Suggest a correction