ATOM

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does atom mean? 

• ATOM (noun)
  The noun ATOM has 2 senses:

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

  Familiarity information: ATOM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ATOM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("atom" is a kind of...):

substance (the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists)

Meronyms (parts of "atom"):

nucleus (the positively charged dense center of an atom)

elementary particle; fundamental particle ((physics) a particle that is less complex than an atom; regarded as constituents of all matter)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "atom"):

isotope (one of two or more atoms with the same atomic number but with different numbers of neutrons)

monad ((chemistry) an atom having a valence of one)

carbon atom (an atom of carbon)

hydrogen atom (an atom of hydrogen)

free radical; radical (an atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron; in the body it is usually an oxygen molecule that has lost an electron and will stabilize itself by stealing an electron from a nearby molecule)

Holonyms ("atom" is a part of...):

chemical element; element (any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter)

molecule ((physics and chemistry) the simplest structural unit of an element or compound)

Derivation:

atomic (of or relating to or comprising atoms)

atomise (break up into small particles)

atomise (spray very finely)

atomize (break up into small particles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atom; corpuscle; molecule; mote; particle; speck

Hypernyms ("atom" is a kind of...):

material; stuff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "atom"):

grain (a relatively small granular particle of a substance)

grinding (material resulting from the process of grinding)

chylomicron (a microscopic particle of triglycerides produced in the intestines during digestion; in the bloodstream they release their fatty acids into the blood)

flyspeck (a tiny dark speck made by the excrement of a fly)

identification particle (a tiny particle of material that can be added to a product to indicate the source of manufacture)

Derivation:

atomic (immeasurably small)

atomise (break up into small particles)

 Context examples 

Carotenoid having a chemical structure similar to beta-carotene with hydroxyl groups at the number 3 and 3' carbon atoms and carbonyl (C=O) functions at the number 4 and 4' carbon atoms.

(Astaxanthin, NCI Thesaurus/CRCH)

Amine having a univalent organic group (as phenyl) derived from an aromatic hydrocarbon by the removal of one hydrogen atom.

(Aromatic Amines, NCI Thesaurus)

A class of organic compounds that contain nitrogen as the pivotal atom for functional groups.

(Amine, NCI Thesaurus)

Each atom has a nucleus (center) made up of protons (positive particles) and neutrons (particles with no charge).

(Atom, NCI Dictionary)

Chirality axis based stereochemistry where, using the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog (CIP) priority rules, the priorities (from highest to lowest) of the substituent atoms exist in a clockwise direction.

(Axial R, NCI Thesaurus)

The position of the atoms can be reconstructed using computerized analysis of the diffraction pattern.

(Atomic Resolution X-Ray Crystallography, NCI Thesaurus)

Several related technologies for imaging and measuring surfaces on a fine scale, down to the level of molecules and groups of atoms.

(Atomic Resolution Microscopy, NCI Thesaurus)

Carotenoid consisting of a cyclic structure on each end with additional double bonds at the number 5 and 4' carbon atoms of the cyclic structures.

(Alpha-carotene, NCI Thesaurus/CRCH)

If they contain more than one atom, the atoms can be the same (an oxygen molecule has two oxygen atoms) or different (a water molecule has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom).

(Molecule, NCI Dictionary)

Heyer developed a computer program, or algorithm, to convert the movement of large clouds of atoms and molecules of different elements and compounds, into music.

(Does Our Galaxy Sound Like Funky Blues Music?, George Putic/VOA)