atom
Plural: atoms
Noun
- The smallest unit of an element.
- (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
- (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything
- The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, now known to consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.
- A hypothetical particle posited by Greek philosophers as an ultimate and indivisible component of matter.
- The smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something.
- In logical atomism, a fundamental fact that cannot be further broken down.
- The smallest medieval unit of time, equal to fifteen ninety-fourths of a second.
- A mote of dust in a sunbeam.
- A very small amount; a whit.
- An individual number or symbol, as opposed to a list; a scalar value.
- An integer representing a particular string.
- A non-zero member of a partially ordered set that has only zero below it (assuming that the poset has a least element, its "zero").
- An element of a set that is not itself a set; an urelement.
- An age group division in hockey for nine- to eleven-year-olds.
Examples
- Every letter is an atom, waiting to be combined into a brilliant molecular word.
- In a Venn diagram, an atom is depicted as an area circumscribed by lines but not cut by any line.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English attome, from Middle French athome, from Latin atomus (“smallest particle”), from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos, “indivisible”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”, o-grade in τομ-) + -ος (-os). Atoms are so named because they were historically thought up as to be the smallest unit of matter, and thus indivisible. Doublet of atomus.
Synonyms
corpuscle, molecule, mote, particle, speck, ace, atom, aught, bissel, bit, crumb, dab, damn, dash, diddly, dot, drop, dusting, fleck, flip, flyspeck, glimpse, glint, grain, halfpennyworth, hint, inch, iota, jot, lick, mite, modicum, morceau, morsel, ooch, ounce, pennyworth, piece, pinch, scantling, scent, scintilla, scooch, scrap, scruple, semblance, shred, skerrick, skoosh, skosh, sliver, smattering, smidge, smidgen, smidget, smidgy, smitch, smithereen, soupçon, spark, spatter, speckle, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, tad, tidbit, tidge, tittle, toddick, touch, trace, trifle, tuppence worth, whiff, whit
Antonyms
Scrabble Score: 6
atom: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordatom: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
atom: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary