Dictionary

atom en · NOUN

Pronunciation

(Australia) audio
/ˈætəm/
[ˈæɾəm] (General-American)
[ˈæɾm̩] (General-American)
(General-American) audio

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.

Meanings

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.
- Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the water-oxidizing complex, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom. 2013 September–October, Katie L. Burke, “In the news: Photosynthesis precursor”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 13 Apr 2016:
(of science) A hypothetical particle posited by Greek philosophers as an ultimate and indivisible component of matter.
(qualifier:now generally regarded figuratively) The smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something.
- But at this critical moment the pirate astern sent a mischievous shot and knocked one of the men to atoms at the helm. 1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash:
- Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction. 1835, John Ross, James Clark Ross, “Chapter XXXIV. Labour in Cutting through the Ice—Become Fixed for the Winter—Summary of the Month.”, in Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage, and of a Residence in the Arctic Regions, during the Years 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833; by Sir John Ross, C.B., K.S.A., K.C.S., &c. &c. Captain in the Royal Navy. Including the Reports of Commander (now Captain) J. C. Ross, R.N., F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. and the Discovery of the Northern Magnetic Pole, Philadelphia, Pa.: E. A. Carey & A. Hart; Baltimore, Md.: Carey, Hart & Co., →OCLC, pages 283–284:
In logical atomism, a fundamental fact that cannot be further broken down.
(historical) 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.
- "Doctor, tell me one word more," said Theodore, quivering with suppressed emotion. "How do you think it will end?" / "I have hardly the faintest atom of hope," answered this honest, earnest man. 1873, “Pansy” [pseudonym; Isabella Macdonald Alden], “A Double Crisis”, in Three People, Cincinnati, Oh.: Western Tract and Book Society, 176 Elm Street, →OCLC, page 325:
- We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter I, in Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC, page 8:
An individual number or symbol, as opposed to a list; a scalar value.
(qualifier:Microsoft Windows) 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").
- In a Venn diagram, an atom is depicted as an area circumscribed by lines but not cut by any line.
An element of a set that is not itself a set; an urelement.
(Canada, attributive, usually) An age group division in hockey for nine- to eleven-year-olds.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
atoms	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Translations (186)

gl átomo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · gv breneen (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · lb Atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · vi nguyên tử (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · gv breneen (obsolete: small unit of time) · he אָטוֹם (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · th อะตอม (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · tl atomo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · cmn 原子 (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fa-ira جُزْءِ لایَتَجَزّیٰ (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · qu iñuku (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · nb atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · it atomo (smallest indivisible constituent) · si පරමාණු (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · sa क्षण (obsolete: small unit of time) · lt atomas (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · gl átomo (smallest indivisible constituent) · da atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ka ატომი (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ug ئاتوم (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · bn অণু (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · eo atomo (computing: scalar value) · vo taum (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · sq atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ckb ئەتۆم (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · pl atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · is frumeind (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ml അണു (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fr atome (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · de Atom (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · ga adamh (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · wo xarefulwoon (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · tl atomo (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · ta அணு (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · br atomenn (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · gv breneen (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · lv atoms (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · et aatom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · da atom (mathematics: member of a Boolean algebra) · nb atom (smallest indivisible constituent) · yo átọ́ọ̀mù (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · gd dadam (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ru а́том (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · id atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · th ปรมาณู (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · mn барамна (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · lo ອາຕົມ (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · yue 原子 (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ko 원자 (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · chr ᎤᏍᏗ (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · haw hunaʻiʻo (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · km បរមាណូ (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · bo རྡུལ་ཕྲན (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · pdt Atomm (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · cmn 原子 (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · te అణువు (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · bn পরমাণু (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · km បរមាណូ (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · as পৰমাণু (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · pt átomo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fr atome (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · ast átomu (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · th อะตอม (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · be а́там (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · oc atòm (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · da atom (smallest indivisible constituent) · mr būliyan bijagṇitīy praṇālītīl ek ghaṭak (mathematics: member of a Boolean algebra) · ar ذَرَّة (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · hi क्षण (obsolete: small unit of time) · sk atóm (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ckb ئەتۆم (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · el άτομο (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · gl átomo (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · af atoom (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · ne अणु (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · zu umsukantozonke (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · az atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · sl atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · he אָטוֹם (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · fi atomi (mathematics: member of a Boolean algebra) · mr लघुत्तम अविभाज्य घटक (smallest indivisible constituent) · pt átomo (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · is atóm (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · mr अणू (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · mr अणू (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · tr atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · cy atom (obsolete: small unit of time) · it atomo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · oc atòme (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · es átomo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · jv ꦥꦫꦩꦤꦸ (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · nrf atonme (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · mk атом (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ga adamh (smallest indivisible constituent) · it atomo (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · uk а́том (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · pt átomo (smallest indivisible constituent) · es átomo (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · eo atomo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · bg а́том (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · gu પરમાણુ (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · de Atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · hy ատոմ (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fi atomi (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · af atoom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · eu atomo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ja アトム (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · io atomo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ky атом (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · hi एटम (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · br atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · tl atomo (smallest indivisible constituent) · sh àtōm (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · la atomus (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ru а́том (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · sv atom (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · el άτομο (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · nl atoom (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · ro atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · my အဏုမြူ (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · yi אַטאָם (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · bg а́том (smallest indivisible constituent) · nah nantzintetl (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · sv atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · hi परमाणु (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · th ปรมาณู (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · nan-hbl 原子 (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ja 元素 (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · fi atomi (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · cy atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fa-ira جُوهَرِ فَرْد (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · sa परमाणु (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · nr imbumbulo (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ca àtom (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · lo ປະລະມະນູ (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · lv atoms (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · hi अणु (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fi perusosanen (smallest indivisible constituent) · kn ಪರಮಾಣು (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · hif परमाणु (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · uk не́ділка (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · tg атом (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ps اټوم (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · mr क्षण (obsolete: small unit of time) · as অণু (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · sa अणु (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · mi ngota (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · sa परमाणु (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · is atóm (mathematics: member of a Boolean algebra) · nl atoom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · mn атом (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ca àtom (obsolete: small unit of time) · hu atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ga adamh (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · ko 아톰 (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ja 原子 (mathematics: member of a Boolean algebra) · hy ատոմ (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · cs atom (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · new अणु (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · am አቶም (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · kk атом (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · mi ngota (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fo atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · km អាតូម (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ja 原子 (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · hi परमाणु (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · nb atom (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · da atom (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · sw atomi (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · hi पल (obsolete: small unit of time) · ca àtom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ms atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ar ذَرَّة (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · my အက်တမ် (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · nn atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ja 単位 (smallest indivisible constituent) · sh а̀то̄м (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ur اَیٹَم (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · ko 원자 (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fa-ira اَتُم (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · tk atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · fa-ira ذَرِّه (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · uz atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties) · grc ἄτομον (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · sa अणु (historical: theoretical particle of matter) · cs atom (chemistry, physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties)

atom en · NOUN

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Translations (186)