atomic

adjective
atom*ic \ ə-ˈtä-mik \
1678{ds||1|a|}
  • of, relating to, or concerned with atoms
  • nuclear
  • marked by acceptance of the theory of atomism

atomic bomb

noun
atomic bomb \
1914{ds||1||}
  • a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of energy resulting from the splitting of nuclei of a heavy chemical element (such as plutonium or uranium) by neutrons in a very rapid chain reaction —called also atom bomb
  • a nuclear weapon (such as a hydrogen bomb)

atomic clock

noun
atomic clock \
1924
  • a precision clock that depends for its operation on an electrical oscillator regulated by the natural vibration frequencies of an atomic system (such as a beam of cesium atoms)

atomic force microscope

noun
atomic force microscope \
1986
  • an instrument used for mapping the atomic-scale topography of a surface by means of the repulsive electronic forces between the surface and the tip of a microscope probe moving above the surface —abbreviation AFM

atomic layer deposition

noun
atomic layer deposition \
1991
  • a technique for depositing a film onto a surface in monolayers by utilizing a self-limiting chemical reaction

atomic mass

noun
atomic mass \
1848
  • the mass of an atom usually expressed in atomic mass units; also : atomic weight

atomic mass unit

noun
atomic mass unit \
circa 1942
  • a unit of mass for expressing masses of atoms, molecules, or nuclear particles equal to 1/12 the mass of a single atom of the most abundant carbon isotope 12C —called also dalton

atomic number

noun
atomic number \
1913
  • an experimentally determined number characteristic of a chemical element that represents the number of protons in the nucleus which in a neutral atom equals the number of electrons outside the nucleus and that determines the place of the element in the periodic table

atomic reactor

noun
atomic reactor \
1942
  • reactor

atomic theory

noun
atomic theory \
1738{ds||1||}
  • a theory of the nature of matter: all material substances are composed of minute particles or atoms of a comparatively small number of kinds and all the atoms of the same kind are uniform in size, weight, and other properties
  • any of several theories of the structure of the atom; especially : one based on experimentation and theoretical considerations holding that the atom is composed essentially of a small positively charged comparatively heavy nucleus surrounded by a comparatively large arrangement of electrons
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