Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to an atom or atoms.
  • adjective Of or employing nuclear energy.
  • adjective Very small; infinitesimal.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to atoms; consisting of atoms.
  • Extremely minute.
  • In client., existing in the condition of isolated atoms of the same kind; not united into groups to constitute molecules: as, for example, active oxygen at the instant of its separation from hydrogen dioxid.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to atoms.
  • adjective Extremely minute; tiny.
  • adjective see atom bomb in the vocabulary.
  • adjective a system which, assuming that atoms are endued with gravity and motion, accounted thus for the origin and formation of all things. This philosophy was first broached by Leucippus, was developed by Democritus, and afterward improved by Epicurus, and hence is sometimes denominated the Epicurean philosophy.
  • adjective (Chem.) teaches that chemical combinations take place between the supposed ultimate particles or atoms of bodies, in some simple ratio, as of one to one, two to three, or some other, always expressible in whole numbers.
  • adjective (Chem.) the weight of the atom of an element as compared with the weight of the atom of hydrogen, taken as a standard.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective physics, chemistry Of, or relating to atoms
  • adjective Of, or employing nuclear energy or processes
  • adjective Infinitesimally small
  • adjective Unable to be split or made any smaller
  • adjective computing Said of an operation that is guaranteed to either complete fully, or not at all.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective of or relating to or comprising atoms
  • adjective (weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy
  • adjective immeasurably small

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word atomic.

Examples

  • For example, World War II was ending and you could easily use the term atomic bomb, which might be thought to be more important than show biz.

    America In So Many Words 1998

  • Dalton's application of the Greek atomic theory to the facts established by the analyses of compounds enabled him to attach to each element a number which he called the atomic weight of the element, and to summarise all the facts concerning the compositions of compounds in the statement, that the elements combine in the ratios of their atomic weights, or in the ratios of whole multiples of their atomic weights.

    The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry M. M. Pattison Muir

  • Helping the burn victims, doctors took some time to realize that they were dealing with a new and horrifically deadly phenomenon, radiation sickness—what they called atomic bomb disease.

    The Story of World War II Donald L. Miller 1945

  • Helping the burn victims, doctors took some time to realize that they were dealing with a new and horrifically deadly phenomenon, radiation sickness—what they called atomic bomb disease.

    The Story of World War II Donald L. Miller 1945

  • And from 1949 to 1959 "atomic" is the word with the greatest "burstiness".

    Boing Boing: February 16, 2003 - February 22, 2003 Archives 2003

  • It is not enough, for me, that Mexicans have built in atomic clocks and know the precise instant it is no longer "buenos dias" and becomes "buenas tardes."

    Page 3 2009

  • That they have "... built in atomic clocks ...." informing them of the time of day?

    Page 3 2009

  • It is not enough, for me, that Mexicans have built in atomic clocks and know the precise instant it is no longer "buenos dias" and becomes "buenas tardes."

    Page 3 2009

  • I don't know, exactly what alloys you mean, but bismuth is common, and is heavier than lead in atomic weight.

    Going by atomic weight, the alloys used in non-toxic shot are atom-for-atom lighter than lead. 2009

  • I don't know, exactly what alloys you mean, but bismuth is common, and is heavier than lead in atomic weight.

    Going by atomic weight, the alloys used in non-toxic shot are atom-for-atom lighter than lead. 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.