atom

at·om

noun \ˈa-təm\

Definition of ATOM

1

: one of the minute indivisible particles of which according to ancient materialism the universe is composed

2

: a tiny particle : bit

3

: the smallest particle of an element that can exist either alone or in combination

4

: the atom considered as a source of vast potential energy

Examples of ATOM

1. There is not an atom of truth to what he said.
2. <give me just one atom of information about the novel's surprise ending>

Origin of ATOM

Middle English, from Latin atomus, from Greek atomos, from atomos indivisible, from a- + temnein to cut

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to ATOM

Synonyms: bit, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, nugget, particle, patch, scrap, scruple, snip, snippet, speck, tittle

Related Words: ace, dab, dash, driblet, drop, fraction, haet [chiefly Scottish], halfpenny, ha'penny, iota, jot, kenning [chiefly Scottish], lick, minim, mite, modicum, nutshell, ounce, pinch, shred, smatter, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), spot, strain, streak, suspicion, taste, touch, trace, whisper, whit; bite, mouthful, nibble, tidbit (also titbit); fragment, part, portion, section; chip, flake, shard, shiver, sliver, splinter; clipping, paring, shaving; smithereens

Near Antonyms: chunk, gob, hunk, lump, slab; abundance, barrel, bucket, bushel, deal, heaps, loads, mass, mountain, peck, pile, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, scads, stack, volume, wad, wealth

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Other Physics Terms

amplitude, centrifugal, centripetal, convection, gradient, hysteresis, kinetic, lase, quantum