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Hadron is a term used in particle physics to describe composite subatomic particles composed of quarks. The name "hadron" comes from the Greek word "hadros," meaning "thick" or "stout." Hadrons are classified into two main categories: baryons and mesons, based on the number of quarks they contain.

Baryons are made up of three quarks. Protons and neutrons, the fundamental building blocks of atomic nuclei, are well-known examples of baryons. Other baryons include lambda, sigma, xi, and omega particles. Baryons are fermions, meaning they have half-integer spin.

Mesons are composed of one quark and one antiquark. Examples of mesons include pions, kaons, and rho mesons. Mesons are bosons, possessing integer spin. They are generally unstable and decay quickly into lighter particles.

The fundamental force that binds quarks together within hadrons is the strong nuclear force, mediated by particles called gluons. Quarks carry a property called "color charge," and it is the interaction between these color charges that forms the strong force. Hadrons are the only observable particles that contain quarks, as free quarks have never been experimentally detected. This phenomenon is known as color confinement. The study of hadrons is central to understanding the strong interaction and the structure of matter at its most fundamental level.