Etymology : Middle English, from Latin atomus, from Greek atomos, from atomos indivisible, from a- + temnein to cut
Pronunciation : 'a-t&m
Function : noun
Date : 15th century
1. atom.
2. smallest part of an element (Physics, Chemistry); something that is extremely small, minute or microscopic object. atom\at"om\ , n. [l. atomus, gr. , uncut, indivisible; 'a priv. + , verbal adj. of to cut: cf. f. atome. see:
tome.].
3. (physics) (a) an ultimate indivisible particle of matter. (b) an ultimate particle of matter not necessarily indivisible; a molecule. (c) a constituent particle of matter, or a molecule supposed to be made up of subordinate particles.note: these three definitions correspond to different views of the nature of the ultimate particles of matter. in the case of the last two, the particles are more correctly called molecules.
4. (chem.) the smallest particle of matter that can enter into combination; one of the elementary constituents of a molecule.
5. anything extremely small; a particle; a whit. there was not an atom of water. ross.atom \at"om\, v. t. to reduce to atoms. [obs.] [atom n.
6. (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element.
7. (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything [syn: molecule, particle, mote, speck].
8. An ultimate indivisible particle of matter.
9. An ultimate particle of matter not necessarily indivisible; a molecule.
10. A constituent particle of matter, or a molecule supposed to be made up of subordinate particles.
11. The smallest particle of matter that can enter into combination; one of the elementary constituents of a molecule.
12. Anything extremely small; a particle; a whit.
13. To reduce to atoms. a tiny piece of anything the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element.
14. atomic, nuclear, atomical. atom, atomy; monad. atom. atom. atom a?yrly?y atomic weight. atom bombasy atomic bomb, A-bomb. atom ça?y atomic age. atom çekirde?i atomic nucleus. atom enerjisi atomic energy. atom reaktörü nuclear reactor, atomic pile. atom santraly nuclear power station. atom sayysy/numarasy atomic number.
15. atom. particle.
16. An atom is the smallest amount of a substance that can take part in a chemical reaction. Smallest unit into which matter can be divided and still retain the characteristic properties of an element. The word derives from the Greek atomos ("indivisible"), and the atom was believed to be indivisible until the early 20th century, when electrons and the nucleus were discovered. It is now known that an atom has a positively charged nucleus that makes up more than 99.9% of the atom's mass but only about 10^-14 (less than a trillionth) of its volume. The nucleus is composed of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons, each about 2,000 times as massive as an electron. Most of the atom's volume consists of a cloud of electrons that have very small mass and negative charge. The electron cloud is bound to the nucleus by the attraction of opposite charges. In a neutral atom, the protons in the nucleus are balanced by the electrons. An atom that has gained or lost electrons becomes negatively or positively charged and is called an ion.