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Welcome to the Mass Spec Terms wiki of mass spectrometry terminology.

This site was created in 2004 to support the IUPAC project Standard definitions of terms relating to mass spectrometry and was open for comment between 2004 and 2006. It now contains links to numerous mass spectrometry terminology definitions from the IUPAC Gold Book, Orange Book, 2013 Recommendations, and other sources. As of Wednesday September 10, 2025, the site contains 2,240 entries.

Browse or search mass spectrometry terms

IUPAC Recommendations 2013 Index

Complete index of mass spectrometry terms

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Links

IUPAC resources

Glossary of methods and terms used in analytical spectroscopy (IUPAC Recommendations 2019)

Definitions of terms relating to mass spectrometry (IUPAC Recommendations 2013)

Recommendations for Symbolism and Nomenclature for Mass Spectroscopy (1978)

Recommendations for Nomenclature and Symbolism for Mass-Spectroscopy (Including an Appendix of Terms Used in Vacuum Technology) - (IUPAC Recommendations 1991)

Recommendations for Nomenclature of Mass Spectrometry (Rules Approved 1973)

Other Resources

• Terminology publications