Definition of "binding energy" []

• The net energy required to decompose a molecule, an atom, or a nucleus into its components. (noun)
• The net energy required to remove an atomic electron to an infinitely remote position from its orbit. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.