atomy

atomy · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*temh₁-“to cut”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromἄτομος“indivisible”
3. Latin · derived fromatomus
4. English todayatomy

A variant of atomi, the plural of atomus (“hypothetical particle posited as an ultimate and indivisible component of matter; mote of dust in a sunbeam”) treated as a singular form. Atomus is derived from Latin atomus, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos, “indivisible”, adjective), from ᾰ̓- (ă-, prefix forming terms having an opposite sense) + τομ- (tom-) (stem of τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- (“to cut”)) + -ος (-os, suffix forming nouns of action or result). Doublet of atom.

atomy · adjective²

From atom + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’).

atomy · noun³

Rebracketing of anatomy (“skeleton”) as an atomy; compare notomy.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 16th c. A skeleton.