SUBATOMIC

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does subatomic mean? 

• SUBATOMIC (adjective)
  The adjective SUBATOMIC has 2 senses:

1. of or relating to constituents of the atom or forces within the atom

2. of smaller than atomic dimensions

  Familiarity information: SUBATOMIC used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SUBATOMIC (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to constituents of the atom or forces within the atom

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

harnessing subatomic energy

Pertainym:

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of smaller than atomic dimensions

Similar:

little; small (limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent)

 Context examples 

A machine that uses electricity to form a stream of fast-moving subatomic particles.

(Linac, NCI Dictionary)

Unlike a normal neutrino, which interacts by a subatomic force, this possible new particle would be affected only by gravity and is dubbed a “sterile neutrino.”

(Measuring Growth of Universe Reveals a Mystery, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A quantum computer would be able to solve previously unsolvable computational problems by taking advantage of the strange behaviour of particles at the subatomic scale, and quantum phenomena such as entanglement and superposition.

(Quantum state of single electrons controlled by ‘surfing’ on sound waves, University of Cambridge)

Neutrinos are subatomic particles, most of which pass through anything and everything, only very rarely interacting with matter.

(Antarctic detector offers first look at how Earth stops high-energy neutrinos in their tracks, National Science Foundation)

But quarks are even smaller particles—the building blocks of protons, neutrons and other subatomic particles known as baryons.

(Physicists discover long-sought 'pentaquark' particle, NSF)

The scientists recently authored a new study that moves picoscience in yet another direction: taking elements from the periodic table and tinkering with them at the subatomic level to tease out new materials.

(Picoscience and a plethora of new materials, National Science Foundation)

Princeton University researchers are using diamonds to help create a communication network that relies on a property of subatomic particles known as their quantum state.

(Key Tech for Quantum Communications Offered by Implanting Diamonds with Flaws, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A mechanical, electrical, or chemical device with sensor properties, that automatically identifies and records or registers a stimulus, such as change in pressure or temperature or content, movement, an electrical signal, radiation from a radioactive material or presence of subatomic particles, etc.

(Detector, NCI Thesaurus)

As material in the disk falls toward the black hole, some of it forms dual jets that blast subatomic particles straight out of the disk in opposite directions at nearly the speed of light.

(WISE, Fermi Missions Reveal a Surprising Blazar Connection, NASA)

Affecting biological factors or systems, a Biophysical Process is a subatomic, atomic, or molecular process that involves passive, physical movement; attraction or repulsion (electrostatic, van der Waals, gradient, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, etc.); radiation interaction; or non-enzymatic formation of covalent bonds.

(Biophysical Process, NCI Thesaurus)