atomy
A tiny particle; an atom, a mote, a speckA tiny particle; an atom, a mote, a speck.
Meaning
7 sensesA tiny particle; an atom, a mote, a speck.
A tiny particle; an atom, a mote, a speck.
A floating mote or speck of dust.
(dialectal, figuratively)A very small being; a mite.
(UK, dialectal, figuratively)A person who is very emaciated or thin; a skeleton.
A tiny particle; an atom, a mote, a speck.
(archaic)The smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something; an atom.
(archaic)A skeleton.
(figuratively, obsolete)Chiefly in the works of the English author Charles Dickens (1812–1870): a thing which is very slender and weak.
Origin
A variant of atomi, the plural of atomus (“hypothetical particle posited as an ultimate anA 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.
Rebracketing of anatomy (“skeleton”) as an atomy; compare notomy.
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Forms
plural: atomy / atomiesSynonyms
90 synonymsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular