Definitions for atom
ˈæt əmatom

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. atomnoun

   (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element

2. atom, molecule, particle, corpuscle, mote, specknoun

   (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.7 / 3 votes

1. atomnoun

   The smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something.

2. atomnoun

   The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, now known to consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.

3. atomnoun

   A non-zero member of a Boolean algebra that is not a union of any other elements.

4. atomnoun

   A theoretical particle of matter, imagined to be incapable of further division; the smallest possible unit of substance.

5. atomnoun

   The smallest medieval unit of time, equal to fifteen ninety-fourths of a second.

6. atomnoun

   An individual number or symbol, as opposed to a list. A scalar value.

7. atomnoun

   A very small amount.

8. Etymology: From atome, from atomus, from ἄτομος, from ἀ- + τέμνω.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ATOMnoun

   1.Such a small particle as cannot be physically divided: and these are the first rudiments, or the component parts of all bodies. John Quincy

   Etymology: atomus, Lat. ἄτομος.

   Innumerable minute bodies are called atoms, because, by reason of their perfect solidity, they were really indivisible. John Ray.

   See plastick nature working to this end,
   The single atoms each to other tend,
   Attract, attracted to, the next in place,
   Form’d and impell’d its neighbour to embrace. Alexander Pope.

   2. Any thing extremely small.

   It is as easy to count atoms, as to resolve the propositions of a lover. William Shakespeare, As you like it.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Atom

   An atom is the smallest unit of ordinary matter that forms a chemical element. Every solid, liquid, gas, and plasma is composed of neutral or ionized atoms. Atoms are extremely small, typically around 100 picometers across. They are so small that accurately predicting their behavior using classical physics—as if they were tennis balls, for example—is not possible due to quantum effects. Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons. More than 99.94% of an atom's mass is in the nucleus. The protons have a positive electric charge, the electrons have a negative electric charge, and the neutrons have no electric charge. If the number of protons and electrons are equal, then the atom is electrically neutral. If an atom has more or fewer electrons than protons, then it has an overall negative or positive charge, respectively – such atoms are called ions. The electrons of an atom are attracted to the protons in an atomic nucleus by the electromagnetic force. The protons and neutrons in the nucleus are attracted to each other by the nuclear force. This force is usually stronger than the electromagnetic force that repels the positively charged protons from one another. Under certain circumstances, the repelling electromagnetic force becomes stronger than the nuclear force. In this case, the nucleus splits and leaves behind different elements. This is a form of nuclear decay. The number of protons in the nucleus is the atomic number and it defines to which chemical element the atom belongs. For example, any atom that contains 29 protons is copper. The number of neutrons defines the isotope of the element. Atoms can attach to one or more other atoms by chemical bonds to form chemical compounds such as molecules or crystals. The ability of atoms to associate and dissociate is responsible for most of the physical changes observed in nature. Chemistry is the discipline that studies these changes.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. atom

   An atom is the smallest indivisible unit of matter that retains the properties of an element. It comprises a nucleus, which contains positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons, surrounded by one or more negatively charged electrons. Different elements have distinct numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The behavior of atoms, including how they interact and combine with other atoms, forms the basis of physical and chemical properties of all matter.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Atomnoun

   an ultimate indivisible particle of matter

2. Atomnoun

   an ultimate particle of matter not necessarily indivisible; a molecule

3. Atomnoun

   a constituent particle of matter, or a molecule supposed to be made up of subordinate particles

4. Atomnoun

   the smallest particle of matter that can enter into combination; one of the elementary constituents of a molecule

5. Atomnoun

   anything extremely small; a particle; a whit

6. Atomverb

   to reduce to atoms

7. Etymology: [L. atomus, Gr. , uncut, indivisible; 'a priv. + , verbal adj. of to cut: cf. F. atome. See Tome.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Atom

   The name Atom applies to a pair of related Web standards. The Atom Syndication Format is an XML language used for web feeds, while the Atom Publishing Protocol is a simple HTTP-based protocol for creating and updating web resources. Web feeds allow software programs to check for updates published on a website. To provide a web feed, a site owner may use specialized software that publishes a list of recent articles or content in a standardized, machine-readable format. The feed can then be downloaded by programs that use it, like websites that syndicate content from the feed, or by feed reader programs that allow Internet users to subscribe to feeds and view their content. A feed contains entries, which may be headlines, full-text articles, excerpts, summaries, and/or links to content on a website, along with various metadata. The Atom format was developed as an alternative to RSS. Ben Trott, an advocate of the new format that became Atom, believed that RSS had limitations and flaws—such as lack of on-going innovation and its necessity to remain backward compatible— and that there were advantages to a fresh design.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. Atom

   at′om, n. a particle of matter so small that it cannot be cut or divided, the unit of matter; anything very small.—adjs. Atom′ic, -al, pertaining to atoms.—ns. Atomic′ity; Atomisā′tion (med.) the reduction of liquids to the form of spray; At′omism, the doctrine that atoms arranged themselves into the universe: the atomic theory; At′omist, one who believes in atomism.—adj. Atomis′tic.—adv. Atomist′ically.—n. At′omy, an atom, or mote: (Shak.) a pygmy.—Atomic philosophy, a system of philosophy enunciated by Democritus, which taught that the ultimate constituents of all things are indivisible particles, differing in form and in their relations to each other; Atomic theory, the hypothesis that all chemical combinations take place between the ultimate particles of bodies, uniting each atom to atom, or in proportions expressed by some simple multiple of the number of atoms. [Gr. atomos—a, not, temnein, tamein, to cut. See Atom.]

The Standard Electrical DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Atom

   The ultimate particle or division of an elementary substance; the smallest part that can exist in combination, and one which cannot exist alone. An elementary substance is composed of molecules just as truly as a compound one, but the atoms in the molecule of an elementary substance are all precisely alike. Hence atoms are the units of chemistry, they have to do with combinations, but the physical unit, the smallest particle of matter that can have an independent existence, is the molecule. The two are often confounded, especially by writers of a few years ago, so that by "atom" the molecule is often meant. There is nothing to be said of their size or mass. All such calculations refer to the molecule, q. v., often spoken of and called the atom. [Transcriber's note: Yet to be discovered: electron--1897 (5 years), proton--1920 (28 years), neutron--1932 (30 years), quark--1961 (69 years).]

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. atom

   Song lyrics by atom -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by atom on the Lyrics.com website.

2. ATOM

   What does ATOM stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the ATOM acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Physics
   • Substance

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'atom' in Nouns Frequency: #2189

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Anagrams for atom »

1. Amto

2. toma

3. Mato

4. moat

5. mota

6. atmo

How to pronounce atom?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say atom in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of atom in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of atom in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of atom in a Sentence

1. Sir Arthur Eddington:

   I ask you to look both ways. For the road to a knowledge of the stars leads through the atom and important knowledge of the atom has been reached through the stars.

2. Aleister Crowley:

   It sometimes strikes me that the whole of science is a piece of impudence; that nature can afford to ignore our impertinent interference. If our monkey mischief should ever reach the point of blowing up the earth by decomposing an atom, and even annihilated the sun himself, I cannot really suppose that the universe would turn a hair.

3. Leonard Louis Levinson:

   History is the short trudge from Adam to atom.

4. Jack London, Personal Credo:

   I would rather be ashes than dust. I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by a dryrot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in a magnificient glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.

5. Mahatma Gandhi:

   Had we adopted non-violence as the weapon of the strong, because we realised that it was more effective than any other weapon, in fact the mightiest force in the world, we would have made use of its full potency and not have discarded it as soon as the fight against the British was over or we were in a position to wield conventional weapons. But as I have already said, we adopted it out of our helplessness. If we had the atom bomb, we would have used it against the British.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=atom
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Atom
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=atom
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atom
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=atom
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=atom
9. ^ The Standard Electrical Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26535/pg26535-images.html#:~:text=atom
10. ^ Usage in printed sources
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=atom