quantum
noun /ˈkwɒntəm/
/ˈkwɑːntəm/
(plural quanta
(physics) /ˈkwɒntə/
/ˈkwɑːntə/
)- a very small quantity of electromagnetic energyOxford Collocations DictionaryQuantum is used before these nouns:
- jump
- leap
- mechanics
- …
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the general sense ‘quantity’): from Latin, neuter of quantus ‘how great, how much’. The current sense dates from the early 20th cent.