Adjacent Words

Atomic definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ATOM'IC,
ATOM'ICAL, a. Pertaining to atoms; consisting of atoms; extremely minute.
The atomical philosophy, said to be broached by Moschus, before the Trojan war, and cultivated by Epicurus, teaches that atoms are endued with gravity and motion, by which all things were formed, without the aid of a supreme intelligent Being.
The atomic theory, in chimistry, or the doctrine of definite proportions, teaches that all chimical combinations take place between the ultimate particles or atoms of bodies, and that these unite either atom with atom, or in proportions expressed by some simple multiple of the number of atoms.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of or relating to or comprising atoms; "atomic structure"; "atomic hydrogen"
2: (weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy; "nuclear war"; "nuclear weapons"; "atomic bombs" [syn: nuclear, atomic] [ant: conventional]
3: immeasurably small

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 1678 1. a. of, relating to, or concerned with atoms <atomic physics> b. nuclear 2 <atomic energy> 2. a. marked by acceptance of the theory of atomism b. atomistic 2 3. minute 4. of a chemical element existing in the state of separate atoms • atomically adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 concerned with or using atomic energy or atomic bombs. 2 of or relating to an atom or atoms. Phrases and idioms: atomic bomb = atom bomb. atomic clock a clock in which the periodic process (time scale) is regulated by the vibrations of an atomic or molecular system, such as caesium or ammonia. atomic energy nuclear energy. atomic mass the mass of an atom measured in atomic mass units. atomic mass unit a unit of mass used to express atomic and molecular weights that is equal to one twelfth of the mass of an atom of carbon-12. Usage: Abbr.: amu. atomic number the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which is characteristic of a chemical element and determines its place in the periodic table. Usage: Symb.: Z. atomic particle any one of the particles of which an atom is constituted. atomic philosophy atomism. atomic physics the branch of physics concerned with the structure of the atom and the characteristics of the elementary particles of which it is composed. atomic pile a nuclear reactor. atomic power nuclear power. atomic spectrum the emission or absorption spectrum arising from electron transitions inside an atom and characteristic of the element. atomic structure the structure of an atom as being a central positively charged nucleus surrounded by negatively charged orbiting electrons. atomic theory 1 the concept of an atom as being composed of elementary particles. 2 the theory that all matter is made up of small indivisible particles called atoms, and that the atoms of any one element are identical in all respects but differ from those of other elements and only unite to form compounds in fixed proportions. 3 Philos. atomism. atomic warfare warfare involving the use of atom bombs. atomic weight = relative atomic mass. Derivatives: atomically adv. Etymology: mod.L atomicus (as ATOM, -IC)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Atomic A*tom"ic, Atomical A*tom"ic*al, a. [Cf. F. atomique.] 1. Of or pertaining to atoms. 2. Extremely minute; tiny. Atomic philosophy, or Doctrine of atoms, 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. Atomic theory, or the Doctrine of definite proportions (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. Atomic weight (Chem.), the weight of the atom of an element as compared with the weight of the atom of hydrogen, taken as a standard.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Atomic means relating to power that is produced from the energy released by splitting atoms. ...atomic energy. ...atomic weapons. = nuclear ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. Atomic means relating to the atoms of substances. ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a.; (also atomical) 1. Of atoms, referring to atoms. 2. Small, minute, infinitesimal, inappreciable.

Moby Thesaurus

a certain, an, any, any one, atomatic, atomiferous, atomistic, corpuscular, cyclic, diatomic, dibasic, either, embryonic, evanescent, exclusive, germinal, granular, heteroatomic, heterocyclic, hexatomic, homocyclic, impalpable, imperceptible, imponderable, inappreciable, indiscernible, individual, indivisible, infinitesimal, intangible, integral, invisible, irreducible, isobaric, isocyclic, isoteric, isotopic, lone, microcosmic, microscopic, molecular, monadic, monatomic, monistic, one, pentatomic, simple, single, singular, sole, solid, solitary, subatomic, tenuous, tetratomic, thin, triatomic, tribasic, ultramicroscopic, unanalyzable, undivided, uniform, unique, unitary, unseeable, whole