# atom
## English

Picture dictionary :
atom
electron
nucleus :
* protonproton
* neutronneutron

### Alternative forms

* atomus (obsolete)

### Etymology

From Middle English attome, from Middle French athome, from Latin atomus (“smallest particle”), from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos, “indivisible”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) +‎ τέμνω (témnō, “I cut”). Atoms are so named because historically the notion was that they were indivisible, given that chemically they are indeed so; the splitting of atoms awaited a later era of science and technology, and nonchemical means.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈætəm/
** (General American) IPA: [ˈæɾm̩], [ˈæɾəm]
* Audio (General American):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Rhymes: -ætəm
* Homophone: Adam (in dialects with flapping)
* Hyphenation: at‧om

### Noun

atom (plural atoms)
* (chemistry, physics) 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. [from 16th c.]
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:atom
    Meronyms: proton, neutron, electron
** 2013 September–October, Katie L. Burke, “In the news: Photosynthesis precursor”, in American Scientist‎, archived from the original on 13 April 2016:Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the water-oxidizing complex, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom.
* (history of science) A hypothetical particle posited by Greek philosophers as an ultimate and indivisible component of matter. [from 15th c.]
* (now generally regarded figuratively) The smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something. [from 17th c.]
** 1835, John Ross, James Clark Ross, “Chapter XXXIV. Labour in Cutting through the Ice—Become Fixed for the Winter—Summary of the Month.”, in Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage, and of a Residence in the Arctic Regions, during the Years 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833; by Sir John Ross, C.B., K.S.A., K.C.S., &c. &c. Captain in the Royal Navy. Including the Reports of Commander (now Captain) J. C. Ross, R.N., F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. and the Discovery of the Northern Magnetic Pole, Philadelphia, Pa.: E. A. Carey & A. Hart; Baltimore, Md.: Carey, Hart & Co., →OCLC, pages 283–284:Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction.
** 1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash‎:But at this critical moment the pirate astern sent a mischievous shot and knocked one of the men to atoms at the helm.
* (philosophy) In logical atomism, a fundamental fact that cannot be further broken down.
* (historical) The smallest medieval unit of time, equal to fifteen ninety-fourths of a second. [from 10th c.]
* A mote of dust in a sunbeam. [from 16th c.]
* A very small amount; a whit. [from 17th c.]
    Synonyms: particle, speck; see also Thesaurus:modicum
** 1873, “Pansy” [pseudonym; Isabella Macdonald Alden], “A Double Crisis”, in Three People, Cincinnati, Oh.: Western Tract and Book Society, 176 Elm Street, →OCLC, page 325:"Doctor, tell me one word more," said Theodore, quivering with suppressed emotion. "How do you think it will end?" / "I have hardly the faintest atom of hope," answered this honest, earnest man.
** 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter I, in Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC, page 8:We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty.
* (computing, programming, Lisp) An individual number or symbol, as opposed to a list; a scalar value. [from 20th c.]
* (mathematics) A non-zero member of a partially ordered set that has only zero below it (assuming that the poset has a least element, its "zero"). [from 20th c.]
    Antonym: coatom
    In a Venn diagram, an atom is depicted as an area circumscribed by lines but not cut by any line.
* (mathematics, set theory) An element of a set that is not itself a set; an urelement. [from 20th c.]
* (Canada, usually attributive) An age group division in hockey for nine- to eleven-year-olds.

#### Derived terms

* adatom
* atom bomb
* atom cocktail
* atomechanics
* atomerg
* atom feed
* atomic
* atomical
* atomically
* atomism
* atomist
* atomistic
* atomization
* atomize
* atom laser
* atomless
* atomlike
* atomology
* atom physics
* atompunk
* atomsite
* atom smasher
* atomtronics
* atomweight
* Bohr atom
* Boolean atom
* catom
* exotic atom
* Gabor atom
* gram atom
* hadronic atom
* Hooke's atom
* interatom
* metaatom
* multiatom
* pseudoatom
* Rutherford atom
* Rydberg atom
* social atom
* spiroatom
* subatom
* superatom
* vortex atom

#### Related terms

* atomgrad

#### Descendants

* → Swahili: atomi

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### See also

* chemical element

### Further reading

* atom on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

### Anagrams

* mota, TMAO, toma, Mato, Amto, moat, Mota, Moat, atmo

## Albanian
### Noun

atom m (definite atomi)
* (physics, chemistry) atom

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “atom”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), 2006
* FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎, 1980

## Breton
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈa.tɔmː/

### Noun

atom m (collective, plural atomennoù, singulative atomenn)
* (physics) atoms

#### Derived terms

* atomek

## Crimean Tatar
### Etymology

From English atom

### Noun

atom
* (physics) atom

#### Declension
### References

* “atom”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈatom]

### Noun

atom m inan
* (physics) atom

#### Related terms

* atomický
* atomový

### Further reading

* “atom”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “atom”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

## Danish
### Etymology

Via German Atom n and Latin atomus f from Ancient Greek ἄτομοι (φύσεις) f (átomoi (phúseis)), ἄτομα (σώματα) n (átoma (sṓmata), “indivisible particles of matter”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [aˈtˢoˀm]

### Noun

atom n (singular definite atomet, plural indefinite atomer)
* atom

#### Declension
### References

* “atom” in Den Danske Ordbog

## Hungarian
### Etymology

From English atom, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos, “indivisible”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + τέμνω (témnō, “I cut”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈɒtom]
* Hyphenation: atom
* Rhymes: -om

### Noun

atom (plural atomok)
* atom

#### Derived terms

* atomi
* atomnyi
* atomos
* atomarzenál
* atomágyú
* atombomba
* atomburok
* atomcsend
* atomcsoport
* atomegyezmény
* atomelmélet
* atomenergia
* atomerőmű
* atomfegyver
* atomfizika
* atomfizikus
* atomhajtású
* atomhatalom
* atomháború
* atommag
* atommodell
* atomóra
* atompálya
* atomprogram
* atomreaktor
* atomrobbanás
* atomrobbantás
* atomsugár
* atomsúly
* atomszám
* atomszemét
* atomszerkezet
* atomtemető
* atomtömeg
* atomtudós
* bóratom
* gázatom
* héliumatom
* hidrogénatom
* kénatom
* klóratom
* nitrogénatom
* oxigénatom
* szénatom

### References

* ↑ Tótfalusi, István. Idegenszó-tár: Idegen szavak értelmező és etimológiai szótára (’A Storehouse of Foreign Words: an explanatory and etymological dictionary of foreign words’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2005. →ISBN

### Further reading

* atom in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
* atom in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

## Indonesian
### Etymology

Internationalism, borrowed from Dutch atoom (“atom”), from French atome, from Latin atomus, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈatɔm/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -tɔm, -ɔm, -m
* Hyphenation: a‧tom

### Noun

atom (plural atom-atom)
* (chemistry, nuclear physics) atom, 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.
* (figurative) modern
    Synonyms: modern, mutakhir
* (figurative) plastic, a synthetic, solid, hydrocarbon-based polymer, whether thermoplastic or thermosetting.
    Synonym: plastik

#### Derived terms

* pengatoman
* seatom

#### Related terms

* atomisme

### Further reading

* “atom” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Kashubian
### Etymology

Internationalism; possibly borrowed from German Atom or Polish atom, ultimately from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos, “indivisible”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈa.tɔm/
* Rhymes: -atɔm
* Syllabification: a‧tom

### Noun

atom m inan (related adjective atomowi)
* (physics) atom

### Further reading

* Jan Trepczyk (1994) “atom”, in Słownik polsko-kaszubski (in Kashubian), volumes 1–2
* Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011) “atom”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎
* “atom”, in Internetowi Słowôrz Kaszëbsczégò Jãzëka [Internet Dictionary of the Kashubian Language], Fundacja Kaszuby, 2022

## Malay
### Etymology

From English atom, from Old French atome, from Latin atomus, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /atom/
* Rhymes: -atom, -tom, -om

### Noun

atom (Jawi spelling اتوم, plural atom-atom, informal 1st possessive atomku, 2nd possessive atommu, 3rd possessive atomnya)
* (physics) atom (physics: smallest possible amount of matter retaining its chemical properties)

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos, “indivisible, uncut, undivided”), both from ἀ- (a-, “not, without”), from Proto-Hellenic *ə- (“un-, not; without, lacking”), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥- (“not, un-”) + and from τέμνω (témnō, “I cut, hew, wound, butcher”), from Proto-Indo-European *tm̥-n-h₁-, from *temh₁- (“to cut”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aˈtuːm/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -uːm
* Hyphenation: at‧om
* Homophone: atom-

### Noun

atom n (definite singular atomet, indefinite plural atom or atomer, definite plural atoma or atomene)
* (chemistry, physics) an atom (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)
    et atom består av en atomkjerne omgitt av elektroneran atom consists of an atomic nucleus surrounded by electrons
** 1943, Carl Fred. Holmboe, Michael Faraday, page 94:tinnklorid … består av et atom tinn og to atomer klortin chloride… consists of one atom of tin and two atoms chlorine tin chloride… consists of one atom of tin and two atoms of chlorine
** 1943, Carl Fred. Holmboe, Michael Faraday, page 164:man var nådd frem til dets minste byggesten. Denne kalte Demokritos et atom: ἄτομος som betyr udeleligone had reached its smallest building block. This one called Democritus an atom: ἄτομος which means indivisible
** 1951, Agnar Mykle, Morgen i appelsingult, page 42:det var nok atomene [som har forårsaket katastrofen] likevel, som jeg trodde!it was probably the atoms [that caused the disaster] anyway, as I thought!
** 2014, Nasjonal digital læringsarena‎$^{[ndla.no]}$:for å forstå hvordan stoffer reagerer med hverandre, og hvorfor de ulike stoffene har forskjellige egenskaper, må vi først lære om de minste byggesteinene i naturen, nemlig atomerto understand how substances react with each other, and why the different substances have different properties, we must first learn about the smallest building blocks in nature, namely atoms
* (figuratively) an atom (the smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something)
    Synonyms: grann, partikkel, smule
** 1865, H. Schulze, Fra Lofoten og Solør, page 87:[stokken] maatte styrte udover ham og knuse ham til atomer[the stick] had to crash over him and crush him into atoms
** 1891, Arne Garborg, Trætte Mænd, page 230:i samvittighedsnaget en draabe smigret forfængelighed – Og i forfængeligheden et atom selvforagtin the gnaw of conscience a drop of flattered vanity - And in vanity an atom of self-loathing
** 1910, Sven Elvestad, Angsten, page 29:i et lidet atom af tid synes han fremdeles han er et andet og fjernt stedin a small atom of time he still thinks he is another and distant place

#### Derived terms

* antiatom
* atom-
* atomaktivist
* atomalder
* atomammunisjon
* atomangrep
* atomanlegg
* atomar
* atomartilleri
* atomaske
* atomavfall
* atomavrustning
* atomavtale
* atombase
* atombedrift
* atombombe
* atombombefly
* atombombeforsøk
* atombombemål
* atombombeprøve
* atombombestøv
* atombrennstoff
* atombrensel
* atombryter
* atombyrå
* atombåt
* atomdiplomat
* atomdiplomati
* atomdrevet
* atomdrift
* atomdrivstoff
* atomekspert
* atomeksplosjon
* atomenergi
* atomfly
* atomforsker
* atomforskning
* atomforsvar
* atomfred
* atomfri
* atomfrykt
* atomfysiker
* atomfysikk
* atomgitter
* atomgranat
* atomhemmelighet
* atomhode
* atomild
* atomindustri
* atomingeniør
* atominstitutt
* atomisere
* atomisk
* atomisme
* atomistisk
* atomisør
* atomkampanje
* atomkanon
* atomkappløp
* atomkirkegård
* atomkjerne
* atomklokke
* atomklubb
* atomkonferanse
* atomkontroll
* atomkraft
* atomkraftverk
* atomkrig
* atomladet
* atomladning
* atommakt
* atommarsj
* atommasse
* atommasseenhet
* atommile
* atommodell
* atommotor
* atommylder
* atommyndighet
* atommål
* atomnasjon
* atomnedfall
* atomnedruste
* atomnedrustning
* atomnummer
* atomopprustning
* atomorbital
* atomparaply
* atompolitikk
* atomproduksjon
* atomprosjekt
* atomprosjektil
* atomprotest
* atomprotestant
* atomprøve
* atomsibryter
* atomspaltning
* atomvekt
* atomvæpnet
* atomær
* donoratom
* fremmedatom
* gramatom
* heteroatom
* hydrogenatom
* oksygenatom
* sentralatom
* strålingsatom
* uranatom

#### Related terms

* atom- (prefix)

### References

* “atom” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
* “atom” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
* “atom” in Store norske leksikon
* “atom (historikk)” in Store norske leksikon
* “atom (atomteori)” in Store norske leksikon

### Anagrams

* atom-, mota

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos).

### Noun

atom n (definite singular atomet, indefinite plural atom, definite plural atoma)
* an atom

#### Derived terms

* atommasse
* atomvekt

#### Related terms

* atom- (prefix)

### References

* “atom” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Old Irish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin atomus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈadoβ̃]

### Noun

atom m
* atom, mote

#### Inflection

* $^H$ = triggers aspiration
* $^L$ = triggers lenition
* $^N$ = triggers nasalization

#### Descendants

* Middle Irish: atam
** Irish: adamh

## Polish
### Etymology

Borrowed from French atome.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈa.tɔm/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -atɔm
* Syllabification: a‧tom

### Noun

atom m inan (related adjective atomowy)
* (physics) atom [with genitive ‘of what’]
* nuclear device (something that operates thanks to nuclear energy)

#### Derived terms

* antyatom
* atomista
* atomistyka
* atomizacja
* atomizator
* atomizer
* atomizm
* atomowiec
* atomówka

#### Derived terms

* antyatomowy
* atomistyczny
* bezatomowy
* przeciwatomowy
* atomistycznie
* atomowo
* atomizować impf, zatomizować pf

### References

* ↑ Mirosław Bańko, Lidia Wiśniakowska (2021) “atom”, in Wielki słownik wyrazów obcych, →ISBN

### Further reading

* atom in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* atom in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French atome, from Latin atomus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aˈtom/

### Noun

atom m (plural atomi)
* atom

#### Declension
### Further reading

* atom in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ǎtoːm/
* Hyphenation: a‧tom

### Noun

àtōm m (Cyrillic spelling а̀то̄м)
* atom

#### Declension
### References

* “atom”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

## Swedish
### Noun

atom c
* atom; the smallest particle to retain the properties of the element
* (historical) atom; the theoretically smallest possible particle

#### Related terms

* atombomb
* atomisk
* atomkraft
* atomkärna
* atomvapen
* atomär

#### See also

* elektron
* elementarpartikel
* foton
* neutron
* positron

### References

* atom in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* atom in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* atom in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

## Turkish
### Etymology

Borrowed from French atome.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ɑˈtɔm]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

atom (definite accusative atomu, plural atomlar)
* (physics) atom
* a kind of sugary drink common in and around Mersin province

#### Declension

singular
plural
nominative
atom
atomlar
definite accusative
atomu
atomları
dative
atoma
atomlara
locative
atomda
atomlarda
ablative
atomdan
atomlardan
genitive
atomun
atomların
Possessive forms
nominative
singular
plural
1st singular
atomum
atomlarım
2nd singular
atomun
atomların
3rd singular
atomu
atomları
1st plural
atomumuz
atomlarımız
2nd plural
atomunuz
atomlarınız
3rd plural
atomları
atomları
definite accusative
singular
plural
1st singular
atomumu
atomlarımı
2nd singular
atomunu
atomlarını
3rd singular
atomunu
atomlarını
1st plural
atomumuzu
atomlarımızı
2nd plural
atomunuzu
atomlarınızı
3rd plural
atomlarını
atomlarını
dative
singular
plural
1st singular
atomuma
atomlarıma
2nd singular
atomuna
atomlarına
3rd singular
atomuna
atomlarına
1st plural
atomumuza
atomlarımıza
2nd plural
atomunuza
atomlarınıza
3rd plural
atomlarına
atomlarına
locative
singular
plural
1st singular
atomumda
atomlarımda
2nd singular
atomunda
atomlarında
3rd singular
atomunda
atomlarında
1st plural
atomumuzda
atomlarımızda
2nd plural
atomunuzda
atomlarınızda
3rd plural
atomlarında
atomlarında
ablative
singular
plural
1st singular
atomumdan
atomlarımdan
2nd singular
atomundan
atomlarından
3rd singular
atomundan
atomlarından
1st plural
atomumuzdan
atomlarımızdan
2nd plural
atomunuzdan
atomlarınızdan
3rd plural
atomlarından
atomlarından
genitive
singular
plural
1st singular
atomumun
atomlarımın
2nd singular
atomunun
atomlarının
3rd singular
atomunun
atomlarının
1st plural
atomumuzun
atomlarımızın
2nd plural
atomunuzun
atomlarınızın
3rd plural
atomlarının
atomlarının :

#### Derived terms

* atom bombası

#### Related terms

* atomik

### References

* Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “atom”, in Nişanyan Sözlük

## Welsh
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈatɔm/

### Etymology 1
#### Noun

atom m or f (plural atomau)
* atom

##### Derived terms

* (nonstandard) atomfa (“nuclear power station”)

### Etymology 2
#### Alternative forms

* aton

#### Pronoun

atom
* (literary) first-person plural of at