atomic

atomic (əˈtɒmɪk)
—adj
1.	of, using, or characterized by atomic bombs or atomic energy: atomic warfare
2.	of, related to, or comprising atoms: atomic hydrogen
3.	extremely small; minute
4.	logic (of a sentence, formula, etc) having no internal structure at the appropriate level of analysis. In predicate calculus, Fa is an atomic sentence and Fx an atomic predicate
a'tomically
—adv

atomic

thought of it as a bomb "that would continue to explode indefinitely."

"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]

Atomic Age is from 1945.

atomic   (ə-tŏm'ĭk)  Pronunciation Key  Relating to an atom or to atoms. Employing nuclear energy.

atomic

adj. [from Gk. `atomos', indivisible]
1. Indivisible; cannot be split up. For example, an instruction may be said to do several things `atomically', i.e., all the things are done immediately, and there is no chance of the instruction being half-completed or of another being interspersed. Used esp. to convey that an operation cannot be screwed up by interrupts. "This routine locks the file and increments the file's semaphore atomically."
2. [primarily techspeak] Guaranteed to complete successfully or not at all, usu. refers to database transactions. If an error prevents a partially-performed transaction from proceeding to completion, it must be "backed out," as the database must not be left in an inconsistent state.

Computer usage, in either of the above senses, has none of the connotations that `atomic' has in mainstream English (i.e. of particles of matter, nuclear explosions etc.).

atomic definition

jargon
(From Greek "atomos", indivisible) Indivisible; cannot be split up.
For example, an instruction may be said to do several things "atomically", i.e. all the things are done immediately, and there is no chance of the instruction being half-completed or of another being interspersed. Used especially to convey that an operation cannot be interrupted.
An atomic data type has no internal structure visible to the program. It can be represented by a flat domain (all elements are equally defined). Machine integers and Booleans are two examples.
An atomic database transaction is one which is guaranteed to complete successfully or not at all. If an error prevents a partially-performed transaction from proceeding to completion, it must be "backed out" to prevent the database being left in an inconsistent state.
[Jargon File]
(2000-04-03)