| 释义 |
▪ I. atom, n.|ˈætəm|
Forms: (4 attomus, athomus, 6–7 atomus,) 5–7 attome, 6–7 attom, 6–8 atome, 7– atom.
[a. F. atome, ad. L. atom-us ‘an atom’; also ‘the twinkling of an eye,’ a. Gr. ἄτοµ-ος, subst. use of ἄτοµ-ος, adj. ‘indivisible,’ f. ἀ priv. + -τοµ-ος ‘cut,’ from strong stem of τέµ-ν-ειν to cut. In 16th c. chiefly used in the L. and Gr. forms atom-us, atom-os, with pl. atomi. About 1600 the F. form atome came into general use, and was at length anglicized to atom.]
I. In philosophical and scientific use.
In senses 2 and 3 now generally held to consist of a positively charged nucleus, in which is concentrated most of the mass of the atom, and round which orbit negatively charged electrons.
1. A hypothetical body, so infinitely small as to be incapable of further division; and thus held to be one of the ultimate particles of matter, by the concourse of which, according to Leucippus and Democritus, the universe was formed.
1477Norton Ord. Alch. (in Ashm. 1652) v. 79 Resolving in Attomes [the 15th c. form is uncertain: the MSS. (16th and 17th cc.) have attomis, atomes, attoms, anotamies.] 1546Langley Pol. Verg. De Invent. i. ii. 4 b, Epicurus one of Democritus dysciples putteth two Causes Atomos or motes and Vacuitie or Emptinesse; of these he saith the foure Elementes come. 1603Holland Plutarch's Mor. 807 Epicurus saith: That the principles of all things be certeine Atomes. 1606L. Bryskett Civ. Life 170 Epicures opinion..that the falling of his motes or Atomi should breed necessitie in our actions. 1709Swift Trit. Ess. Wks. 1755 II. i. 139 That the universe was formed by a fortuitous concourse of atoms. 1837Whewell Hist. Induct. Sc. (1857) I. 48 The technical term, Atom, marks sufficiently the nature of the opinion. According to this theory, the world consists of a collection of simple particles, of one kind of matter, and of indivisible smallness..and by the various configurations and motions of these particles, all kinds of matter and all material phenomena are produced.
2. In Nat. Phil. physical atoms: the supposed ultimate particles in which matter actually exists (without reference to their divisibility or the contrary), aggregates of which held in their places by molecular forces, constitute all material bodies.
1650Charleton Paradoxes Prol. 14 The imperceptible Emissions, streaming in a semi-immaterial thread of Atomes from sublunary bodies. 1777Priestley Matt. & Spir. i. (1782) I. 11 By an atom..I mean an ultimate component part of any gross body. 1871Tyndall Fragm. Sc. I. ii. 35 Atoms are endowed with powers of mutual attraction.
3. chemical atoms:
a. The smallest particles in which the elements combine either with themselves, or with each other, and thus the smallest quantity of matter known to possess the properties of a particular element.
1819J. G. Children Chem. Anal. 437 The composition of hypo⁓sulphuric acid must be, 2 atoms of sulphur, 5 of oxygen. 1868Chambers Encycl. I. 527 What the chemist regards as an atom in his science, may not be an ultimate and indivisible atom in a physical point of view; the chemical atom, though incapable of division as a chemical atom, may still be composed or built up of many physical atoms. 1873Williamson Chem. §85 Each atom of oxygen in water is combined with two atoms of hydrogen.
b. The smallest quantity in which a group of elements, called a radical, forms a compound corresponding to one formed by a simple element, or behaves like an element; thus the smallest known quantity of a chemical compound.
1847Nat. Encycl. III. 395 The Benzoyle atom is formed of twenty-one elementary atoms—C14 H5 O2. 1873Williamson Chem. §8, N H4 is a radical, analogous to potassium, and N H4 is capable in many compounds of taking the place of K: N H4 is called an atom of Ammonium.
II. In popular use.
4. From sense 1, as the nearest popular conception to the atoms of the philosophers: One of the particles of dust which are rendered visible by light; a mote in the sunbeam. arch. or Obs.
1605Z. Jones De Loyer's Specters 27 Atomes signifie motes in the Sunne. 1627Drayton Aginc. (1631) 61 Bils and Axes play As doe the Attoms in the Sunny ray. 1784Cowper Task i. 361 The rustling straw sends up a frequent mist Of atoms. 1821Byron Two Foscari iii. i, Moted rays of light Peopled with dusty atoms.
5. The smallest conceivable portion or fragment of anything; a very minute portion or quantity, a particle, a jot:
a. of matter.
c1630Drummond of Hawthornden Poems (1633) 166 Like tinder when flints atoms on it fall. 1644Digby Nat. Bodies vi. (1658) 54 Little attoms of oyl..ascend apace up the week of a burning candle. 1835Sir J. Ross N.-W. Pass. xxxiv. 477 There was not an atom of water.
b. of things immaterial. logical atom: one of the essential and indivisible elements into which some philosophers hold that statements can be analysed.
c1630Drummond of Hawthornden Poems (1656) 136 We as but in a Mirrour see, Shadows of shadows, Atomes of thy Might. 1651Hobbes Leviath. iii. xliii. 331 Casting atomes of Scripture, as dust before mens eyes. 1866G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. i. 2, I do not feel one atom older than I did at three and twenty. 1873C. S. Peirce in Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts & Sci. IX. ii. 343 The logical atom, or term not capable of logical division, must be one of which every predicate may be universally affirmed or denied... A logical atom, then, like a point in space, would involve for its precise determination an endless process. 1918[see atomism 1 b]. 1958G. J. Warnock Eng. Philos. since 1900 v. 54 Russell's world of indefinitely numerous, independent logical atoms is the metaphysical opposite of Bradley's Absolute.
c. esp. in to smash, shiver, etc., to or into atoms. Cf. also blow v.1 24 a.
1664H. More Myst. Iniq. 495 They would nimbly take a-pieces and consume to Atomes any such Terrestrial consistency of flesh and bloud. 1705Otway Orphan v. vii. 2114 If but your word can shake This World to Atomes. 1851[see smash v.1 2]. 1874Helps Soc. Press. iii. 51 Which should shiver into atoms some of our present most potent ideas. 1905A. Conan Doyle Return of Sherlock H. 226 His second bust..had been smashed to atoms where it stood.
6. a. A very minute or microscopic object (without implying that it is a particle of anything else); anything relatively very small; an atomy.
1633Herbert Ch. Milit. in Temple 184 The smallest ant or atome knows thy power. 1664Power Exp. Philos. i. 26 Her eyes are two such very little black Atoms. 1884Roe in Harper's Mag. Mar. 616/1 A saucy little atom of a bird.
b. attrib.
1742Young Nt. Th. iv. 421 And shall an atom of this atom-world Mutter, in dust and sin, the theme of heaven? 1813L. Hunt in Examiner 15 Feb. 104/1 The swarm Of atom bees.
III. Of time. (Already in Gr. ἄτοµος (1 Cor. xv. 22), L. atomus = ‘twinkling of an eye,’ and regularly fixed in value in med.L.; see Du Cange.)
†7. The smallest mediæval measure of time; = 15/94 of a second. Obs.
According to the table of Papias in Du Cange—
47 atoms of time= 1 ounce= 7½seconds(modern)
8 ounces= 1 ostent= 1minute ’
1½ ostents= 1 moment= 1½minutes ’
2{twothird} moments= 1 part= 4minutes ’
1½ parts (or 4 moments)= 1 minute = 6minutes ’
2 minutes= 1 point= 12minutes ’
5 points= 1 hour= 1hour ’
Thus an hour was equal to either 5 points, 10 minutes, 15 parts, 40 moments, 60 ostents, 480 ounces, or 22560 atoms.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. ix. ix. (1495) 354 An vnce of tyme conteynyth seuen and forty attomos. Ibid. xxi. 359 Dyuydynge..of tyme passyth no ferder than Athomus.
IV. attrib. and Comb.
a. attrib., as atom-dance; also loosely used attrib. for atomic, as atom age, atom bomb (so atom-bomb v., atom-bombing vbl. n.), atom scientist, atom spy.
b. instrumental, as atom-born; also, used with the sense of atomic energy, as atom-driven, atom-powered, and of atomic weapons, as atom-free.
c. Objective, as atom-splitting.
d. Similative, as atom-like. Also atom-smasher colloq., an apparatus for accelerating charged particles; so atom-smashing vbl. n.; atom-theory: the theory that accounts for the properties of bodies by the shape, position, etc. of their atoms.
1946Daily Tel. 24 Sept. 3/7 A pre-vision of interplanetary travel in the *atom age.
1945Times 7 Aug. 4/1 An impenetrable cloud of dust and smoke had covered the target area after the *atom bomb had been dropped at Hiroshima. 1945Evening News 13 Aug. 1 (headline) Ultimatum to Japs: Accept by 6 p.m.—or be atom-bombed. 1946Britannica Bk. of Year 832/1 Atom bombing. 1948John o' London's Weekly 15 Oct. 491/2 The story concerns a group of survivors in the ruins of atom-bombed Los Angeles. 1953C. Day Lewis Ital. Visit ii. 30 Gleefully brush past atom-bomb cauliflowers [sc. cloud-shapes].
1819Shelley Ode to Heaven 485 The abyss is wreathed with scorn At your presumption, *atom-born.
1878Geo. Eliot Coll. Breakf. P. 191 You saw the facial *atom-dance.
1950Jane's Fighting Ships 1950–51 Add. 5/2 Plans for an *atom-driven submarine..are reported. 1958Listener 18 Dec. 1026/2 The creation of an atom-free zone in central Europe.
1890W. James Princ. Psychol. I. x. 348 The enjoyment of the *atom-like simplicity of their substance in sæcula sæculorum would not to most people seem a consummation devoutly to be wished.
1953Encounter Oct. 59/2 An American *atom physicist.
1949Air Trails 21 May 21 *Atom-powered bombers! How soon? How big? What shape? 1953Ann. Reg. 1952 403 On 14 January the first official announcement was made in the United States about the production of an atom-powered aircraft carrier.
1945Sci. News Let. 17 Nov. 312/3 *Atom scientists federate to help Congress.
1937Lit. Dig. 12 June 17/3 The Westinghouse *atom-smasher will look like a gigantic aluminum pear.
1932Ibid. 28 May 26/1 *Atom-smashing has been accomplished before, and it seems to be still only a laboratory wonder. 1942Electronic Engin. Sept. 166/1 Several types of accelerator have been developed for providing high velocity particles with which to bombard the nuclei of atoms—a practice popularly known as ‘atom smashing’. 1960New Statesman 2 Jan. 8/1 With the aid of their big atom-smashing machines, other Americans manufactured fragments of anti-matter.
1939Discovery Apr. 181 (caption) A New Type of *Atom-Splitting. 1946War Illustr. 4 Jan. 572 (caption) Japanese Atom-Splitting Device.
1959Listener 19 Mar. 514/2 The ideological *atom spies.
1871R. H. Hutton Ess. I. 40 Why do scientific men attach..less and less [credit] to the *atom-theory of matter?
▪ II. † atom, v. Obs.|ˈætəm|
[f. prec. n.]
To reduce to atoms, to atomize.
a1678Feltham On Luke xiv. 20 (R.) When he is atom'd into flying dust, he has prepared his substitute. 1648Earl Westmrld. Otia Sacra (1879) 78 Attom'd into dust.
▪ III. atom
obsolete form of at home. |