molecule

Plural: moleculae, molecules, moleculæ

Noun

• The smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound.
• (physics and chemistry) the simplest structural unit of an element or compound
• (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything
• The smallest particle of a specific element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound; two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.
• A tiny amount.

Examples

• Breaking down the word MOLECULE into smaller plays seemed impossible.
• Hydrogen chloride is a diatomic molecule, consisting of a hydrogen atom and a chlorine atom.

Synonyms

atom, corpuscle, mote, particle, speck, ace, 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, molecule, 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

Related Words

chemical compound, molecular