Maxwell's demon
Syllabification: (Max·well's de·mon)
Physics
Definition of Maxwell's demon
- a hypothetical being imagined as controlling a hole in a partition dividing a gas-filled container into two parts, and allowing only fast-moving molecules to pass in one direction, and slow-moving molecules in the other. This would result in one side of the container becoming warmer and the other cooler, in violation of the second law of thermodynamics.
Origin:
late 19th century: named after J. C. Maxwell (see Maxwell, James Clerk)