[W/K] :: atomic

  Atomic \A*tom"ic\, Atomical \A*tom"ic*al\, a. [Cf. F. atomique.]
     1. Of or pertaining to atoms.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Extremely minute; tiny.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Atomic bomb, see atom bomb in the vocabulary.
  
     Atomic philosophy, or Doctrine of atoms, a system which,
        assuming that atoms are endued with gravity and motion,
        accounted thus for the origin and formation of all things.
        This philosophy was first broached by Leucippus, was
        developed by Democritus, and afterward improved by
        Epicurus, and hence is sometimes denominated the Epicurean
        philosophy.
  
     Atomic theory, or the Doctrine of definite proportions
        (Chem.), teaches that chemical combinations take place
        between the supposed ultimate particles or atoms of
        bodies, in some simple ratio, as of one to one, two to
        three, or some other, always expressible in whole numbers.
        
  
     Atomic weight (Chem.), the weight of the atom of an element
        as compared with the weight of the atom of hydrogen, taken
        as a standard.
        [1913 Webster]

  atomic
       adj 1: of or relating to or comprising atoms; "atomic structure";
              "atomic hydrogen"
       2: (weapons) deriving destructive energy from  the release of
          atomic energy; "nuclear war"; "nuclear weapons"; "atomic
          bombs" [syn: nuclear] [ant: conventional]
       3: immeasurably small [syn: atomlike, minute]

  66 Moby Thesaurus words for "atomic":
     a certain, an, any, any one, atomatic, atomiferous, atomistic,
     corpuscular, cyclic, diatomic, dibasic, either, embryonic,
     evanescent, exclusive, germinal, granular, heteroatomic,
     heterocyclic, hexatomic, homocyclic, impalpable, imperceptible,
     imponderable, inappreciable, indiscernible, individual,
     indivisible, infinitesimal, intangible, integral, invisible,
     irreducible, isobaric, isocyclic, isoteric, isotopic, lone,
     microcosmic, microscopic, molecular, monadic, monatomic, monistic,
     one, pentatomic, simple, single, singular, sole, solid, solitary,
     subatomic, tenuous, tetratomic, thin, triatomic, tribasic,
     ultramicroscopic, unanalyzable, undivided, uniform, unique,
     unitary, unseeable, whole
  
  

  atomic adj. [from Gk. `atomos', indivisible] 1. Indivisible; cannot be
     split up. For example, an instruction may be said to do several things
     `atomically', i.e., all the things are done immediately, and there is no
     chance of the instruction being half-completed or of another being
     interspersed. Used esp. to convey that an operation cannot be screwed up
     by interrupts. "This routine locks the file and increments the file's
     semaphore atomically." 2. [primarily techspeak] Guaranteed to complete
     successfully or not at all, usu. refers to database transactions. If an
     error prevents a partially-performed transaction from proceeding to
     completion, it must be "backed out," as the database must not be left in
     an inconsistent state.
  
     Computer usage, in either of the above senses, has none of the
     connotations that `atomic' has in mainstream English (i.e. of particles
     of matter, nuclear explosions etc.).
  
  

  atomic
       
           (From Greek "atomos", indivisible) Indivisible;
          cannot be split up.
       
          For example, an instruction may be said to do several things
          "atomically", i.e. all the things are done immediately, and
          there is no chance of the instruction being half-completed or
          of another being interspersed.  Used especially to convey that
          an operation cannot be interrupted.
       
          An atomic data type has no internal structure visible to the
          program.  It can be represented by a flat domain (all
          elements are equally defined).  Machine integers and
          Booleans are two examples.
       
          An atomic database transaction is one which is guaranteed to
          complete successfully or not at all.  If an error prevents a
          partially-performed transaction from proceeding to completion,
          it must be "backed out" to prevent the database being left in
          an inconsistent state.
       
          [{Jargon File]
       
          (2000-04-03)