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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

at·om

Audio Help [at-uh

m] Pronunciation Key

–noun

Physics.

a.	the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element, consisting of a nucleus containing combinations of neutrons and protons and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus by electrical attraction; the number of protons determines the identity of the element.

b.	an atom with one of the electrons replaced by some other particle: muonic atom; kaonic atom.

2.	Energy. this component as the source of nuclear energy.

3.	a hypothetical particle of matter so minute as to admit of no division.

4.	anything extremely small; a minute quantity.

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME attomos, athomus < L atomus < Gk átomos, n. use of átomos undivided, equiv. to a- a-⁶ + tomós divided, verbid of témnein to cut

]

—Synonyms 4. shred, speck, scintilla, iota, jot, whit.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

at·om Audio Help (āt'əm) Pronunciation Key

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n.

1. A part or particle considered to be an irreducible constituent of a specified system.
2. The irreducible, indestructible material unit postulated by ancient atomism.
3. A unit of matter, the smallest unit of an element, having all the characteristics of that element and consisting of a dense, central, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a system of electrons. The entire structure has an approximate diameter of 10^-8 centimeter and characteristically remains undivided in chemical reactions except for limited removal, transfer, or exchange of certain electrons.
4. This unit regarded as a source of nuclear energy. See Table at subatomic particle.
An extremely small part, quantity, or amount.
Physics & Chemistry
1. A unit of matter, the smallest unit of an element, having all the characteristics of that element and consisting of a dense, central, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a system of electrons. The entire structure has an approximate diameter of 10^-8 centimeter and characteristically remains undivided in chemical reactions except for limited removal, transfer, or exchange of certain electrons.
2. This unit regarded as a source of nuclear energy. See Table at subatomic particle.

[Middle English attome, from Latin atomus, from Greek atomos, indivisible, atom : a-, not; see a-¹ + tomos, cutting (from temnein, to cut; see tem- in Indo-European roots).]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
atom

1477, as a hypothetical body, the building block of the universe, from L. atomus (especially in Lucretius), from Gk. atomos "uncut," from a- "not" + tomos "a cutting," from temnein "to cut." An ancient term of philosophical speculation (in Leucippus, Democritus), revived 1805 by British chemist Dalton. Atomic is from 1678 as a philosophical term; scientific sense dates from 1811. Atomic energy first recorded 1906; atomic bomb first recorded 1914 in writings of H.G. Wells, who thought of it as a bomb "that would continue to explode indefinitely." Atom bomb is from 1945; Atomic Age is from 1945.

"When you can drop just one atomic bomb and wipe out Paris or Berlin, war will have become monstrous and impossible." [S. Strunsky, "Yale Review," January 1917]

Atomize "reduce a liquid to a fine mist" is from 1865; sense of "to destroy with atomic weapons" is from 1945.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

atom
noun
1.	(physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
2.	(nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
atom1 [ˈӕtəm] noun

the smallest part of an element

Arabic:	ذَرَّه
Chinese (Simplified):	原子
Chinese (Traditional):	原子
Czech:	atom
Danish:	atom
Dutch:	atoom
Estonian:	aatom
Finnish:	atomi
French:	atome
German:	das Atom
Greek:	άτομο
Hungarian:	atom
Icelandic:	atóm, frumeind
Indonesian:	atom
Italian:	atomo

Japanese:	原子
Korean:	원자
Latvian:	atoms
Lithuanian:	atomas
Norwegian:	atom
Polish:	atom
Portuguese (Brazil):	átomo
Portuguese (Portugal):	átomo
Romanian:	atom
Russian:	атом
Slovak:	atóm
Slovenian:	atom
Spanish:	átomo
Swedish:	atom
Turkish:	atom

atom2 [ˈӕtəm] noun

anything very small
Example: There's not an atom of truth in what she says.

Arabic:	مِقْدار ضَئيل جِداً
Chinese (Simplified):	微粒
Chinese (Traditional):	微粒
Czech:	zrnko
Danish:	gran
Dutch:	greintje
Estonian:	kübe
Finnish:	hiven
French:	parcelle
German:	das Körnchen
Greek:	ίχνος, ψήγμα
Hungarian:	parányi
Icelandic:	snefill
Indonesian:	sedikit
Italian:	briciola

Japanese:	微量
Korean:	극히 작은 것
Latvian:	druska
Lithuanian:	dalelė
Norwegian:	fnugg, prikk
Polish:	odrobina
Portuguese (Brazil):	partícula
Portuguese (Portugal):	átomo
Romanian:	pic, strop
Russian:	капля
Slovak:	zrnko, kúsok
Slovenian:	kanček
Spanish:	ápice, pizca, gota
Swedish:	smula, dugg, uns
Turkish:	zerre

See also: atom(ic) bomb, atomic energy, atomic power

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

atom Audio Help (āt'əm) Pronunciation Key
The smallest unit of an element, consisting of at least one proton and (for all elements except hydrogen) one or more neutrons in a dense central nucleus, surrounded by one or more shells of electrons. In electrically neutral atoms, the number of protons equals the number of electrons. Atoms remain intact in chemical reactions except for the removal, transfer, or exchange of certain electrons. Compare compound. See also ion , isotope , orbital.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
atom

A unit of matter; the smallest unit of a chemical element. Each atom consists of a nucleus, which has a positive charge, and a set of electrons that move around the nucleus. (See Bohr atom.)

Note: Atoms link together to form molecules.

[Chapter:] Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Atom

At"om\, n. [L. atomus, Gr. ?, uncut, indivisible; 'a priv. + ?, verbal adj. of ? to cut: cf. F. atome. See Tome.]

1. (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. --Dana.

2. (Chem.) The smallest particle of matter that can enter into combination; one of the elementary constituents of a molecule.

3. Anything extremely small; a particle; a whit.

There was not an atom of water. --Sir J. Ross.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Atom

At"om\, v. t. To reduce to atoms. [Obs.] --Feltham.

Acronym Finder - Cite This Source - Share This

ATOM

ATOM: in Acronym Finder

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