subatomic

Relating to particles that are constituents of the atom, or are smaller than an atom; such as proton, neutron, electron, etc.

Adjective

  1. Relating to particles that are constituents of the atom, or are smaller than an atom; such as proton, neutron, electron, etc.
    • We humans are so stuck in the middle of the cosmic scales — in average height, one-hundredth of one-septillionth (10^-24) the size of the observable universe, and with typical life spans of a couple octillion...
  2. Relating to something that is smaller in scale than the diameter of a hydrogen atom.
    • The electron microscope is able to resolve detail at the subatomic level.

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub-der. English sub- Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Ancient Greek τέμνω (témnō) Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Hellenic *-ós ▲ Ancient Greek -ος (-os)influ. Ancient Greek -ός (-ós) Ancient Greek *τομός (*tomós) Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos)bor. Latin atomusbor. Middle French athomebor. Middle English attome English atom Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English atomic English subatomic From sub- + atomic.

Related

atomic subatomically subatomic particle

Derived

subatomics