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at-om
[at-uh m]
Synonyms Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com (http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/atom)

noun
1. 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.

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The 2017 Word of the The Saddest Words in The Oldest Words in Drop These 11 Phrases
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4. anything extremely small; a minute quantity.

Origin of atom

Middle English (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/middle-english)

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Latin (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/latin) Greek (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/greek)

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1350-1400

1350-1400; Middle English attomos, athomus < Latin atomus < Greek tomos, noun use of tomos undivided, equivalent to a- a-
(http://www.dictionary.com/browse/a-)6+ toms divided, verbid of tmnein to cut

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2017.
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Examples from the Web for at-om

Contemporary Examples

Check: This atom smashing business is going to herald the final victory of the machine.

Mailers Letters Pack a Punch and a Surprising Degree of Sweetness (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/14/mailer-s-letters-pack-a-punch-and-a-surprising-

(http://www.thedailybeast.com?
degree-of-sweetness.html?source=dictionary)
source=dictionary)
Ronald K. Fried (http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/ronald-k-fried.html?source=dictionary)
December 14, 2014

Releasing a new issue was like dropping an atom bomb on the industry.

It Was All a Dream: Drama, Bullshit, and the Rebirth of The Source Magazine (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/14/it-was-all-a-dream-drama-bullshit-and-the-
(http://www.thedailybeast.com?
rebirth-of-the-source-magazine.html?source=dictionary)
source=dictionary)
Alex Suskind (http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/alex-suskind.html?source=dictionary)
October 14, 2014

You have the atom, which has the neutron, the electron, the proton.

Crazy Harlem Pastor Hates on Obama and Gays (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/28/crazy-harlem-pastor-hates-on-obama-and-gays.html?

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British Dictionary definitions for at-om

atom
/tm/

noun
1. a. the smallest quantity of an element that can take part in a chemical reaction
b. this entity as a source of nuclear energy: the power of the atom See also atomic structure (/browse/atomic-structure)

2. any entity regarded as the indivisible building block of a theory

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3. the hypothetical indivisible particle of matter postulated by certain ancient philosophers as the fundamental constituent of matter See also
atomism (/browse/atomism)

4. a very small amount or quantity; minute fragment: to smash something to atoms, there is not an atom of truth in his allegations

Word Origin

C16: via Old French and Latin, from Greek atomos (n), from atomos (adj) that cannot be divided, from a- 1 + temnein to cut

What does Tis the Season mean? (http://www.dictionary.com/e/tis-the-season/?src=dcom-serp-tab)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for at-om

n.

late 15c., as a hypothetical indivisible body, the building block of the universe, from Latin atomus (especially in Lucretius) "indivisible particle,"
from Greek atomos "uncut, unhewn; indivisible," from a- "not" + tomos "a cutting," from temnein "to cut" (see tome (/browse/tome) ). An
ancient term of philosophical speculation (in Leucippus, Democritus), revived 1805 by British chemist John Dalton. In late classical and
medieval use also a unit of time, 22,560 to the hour. Atom bomb is from 1945 as both a noun and a verb; cf. atomic (/browse/atomic).

Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010 Douglas Harper

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at-om in Medicine
atom atom (t'm)
n.

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- 8centimeter 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.

3. A part or particle considered to be an irreducible constituent of a specified system.

4. The irreducible, indestructible material unit postulated by ancient atomism.

5. An extremely small part, quantity, or amount.

atom'ic (-tm'k) adj.

The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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at-om in Science

atom (t'm) (http://content.dictionary.com/help/dictionary/ahsd/pronkey.html)

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
(http://www.dictionary.com/browse/compound). See also ion (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ion), isotope, orbital.

The American Heritage Science Dictionary

Copyright 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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at-om in Culture

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atom definition

A unit of matter (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/matter); the smallest unit of a chemical element

(http://www.dictionary.com/browse/element). Each atom consists of a nucleus (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/nucleus), which has a
positive charge (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/charge), and a set of electrons (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/electron) that move
around the nucleus. (See Bohr atom (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/bohr-atom).)

Note: Atoms link together to form molecules (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/molecule).

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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