Definition

Noun: 1. (Cosmology) The primordial substance: In the context of the Big Bang theory, 'ylem' refers to the original, undifferentiated matter hypothesized to have existed before the formation of the chemical elements. It is conceived as a dense, hot soup of fundamental particles.

Usage Notes

• 'Ylem' is a highly specialized scientific term used almost exclusively in cosmology and physics.
• It describes a theoretical state of the universe at an extremely early moment after the initial singularity.
• The term is historical and was coined for a specific model; in modern cosmology, terms like "quark-gluon plasma" or "primordial plasma" are more commonly used to describe similar concepts.

Examples

• Noun:
  • According to the theory, the ylem cooled and expanded, allowing protons and neutrons to form.
  • Scientists theorize that all atomic nuclei were synthesized from the ylem.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often found in historical or pedagogical discussions about the development of the Big Bang theory.
  • Gamow and his colleagues proposed that the elements were forged from the ylem.

Variants and Related Words

• Primordial soup/soup: A more general, sometimes informal term for the early universe's hot, dense state.
• Quark-gluon plasma: The modern term for a state of matter believed to have existed shortly after the Big Bang, succeeding the ylem.

Synonyms

• Primordial matter
• Primaeval/primaeval matter
• Cosmic egg (an older, more metaphorical term)

Antonyms

• Differentiated matter
• Modern elemental composition

Related Phrases/Idioms

• From the ylem: Used to indicate the ultimate cosmic origin of something.
  • Every atom in our bodies can trace its lineage back to the ylem.

Noun

1. (cosmology) the original matter that (according to the big bang theory) existed before the formation of the chemical elements