atom

atom · noun¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἄτομος“indivisible”
2. Latin · derived fromatomus“smallest particle”
3. Middle French · derived fromathome
4. Middle English · inherited fromattome
5. English todayatom

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, “to cut”, o-grade in τομ-) + -ος (-os). Atoms are so named because they were historically thought up as to be the smallest unit of matter, and thus indivisible. Doublet of atomus.

Atom · proper noun²

1. mni · borrowed fromꯑꯇꯣꯝ
2. mni · borrowed fromꯑꯇꯣꯝ
3. English todayAtom

Borrowed from Manipuri ꯑꯇꯣꯝ (ʼatom).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 16th c. 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 15th c. A hypothetical particle posited by Greek philosophers as an ultimate and indivisible component of matter.
• from 17th c. The smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something.
• from 10th c. The smallest medieval unit of time, equal to fifteen ninety-fourths of a second.
• from 16th c. A mote of dust in a sunbeam.
• from 17th c. A very small amount; a whit.
• from 20th c. An individual number or symbol, as opposed to a list; a scalar value.
• from 20th c. 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").