atomize

English

Alternative forms

• atomise (non-Oxford British English)

Etymology

Etymology tree

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 *-os

Proto-Indo-European *-ós

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 atomuslbor.

Middle French athomebor.

Middle English attome

English atom

Proto-Indo-European *-id-

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti

Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō

Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor.

Late Latin -izōder.

Middle French -iserbor.

Middle English -isen

English -ize

English atomize

From atom + -ize.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈætəmaɪz/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈætəmaɪz/, [-ɾə-]
• Rhymes: -ætəmaɪz
• Hyphenation: a‧tom‧ize

Verb

atomize (third-person singular simple present atomizes, present participle atomizing, simple past and past participle atomized)

2. (transitive) To separate or reduce into atoms.
4. (transitive) To make into a fine spray.

   Near-synonyms: aerosolize, vaporize, nebulize

   What every tinkerer with a homegrown Otto engine needed at this time was a better carburetor to atomize the fuel.

6. (transitive) To fragment; to break into small pieces or concepts.

   Near-synonyms: anatomize, analyze, scrutinize

   What every tinkerer with a homegrown database management system needed at this time was a better database model to atomize the data.

   • 1979, Gould, Stephen J., and Richard C. Lewontin. "The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 205: p. 585:

     An organism is then atomized into 'traits' and these traits are explained as structures optimally designed by natural selection for their functions.

8. (chiefly politics, of people) To deprive of community and political capital.

   Synonym: disenfranchise

   Coordinate term: pacify

   Near-synonym: disunite

10. (transitive) To bomb with nuclear weapons.

    Near-synonyms: pulverize, annihilate

Derived terms

• atomizability
• atomizable
• atomization
• atomizer

Translations

to separate or reduce into atoms

• Catalan: atomitzar (ca)
• Finnish: hajottaa atomeiksi
• French: atomiser (fr)
• Galician: atomizar (gl)
• German: atomisieren (de)
• Hungarian: atomokra bont
• Māori: ngotangota
• Polish: atomizować (pl) impf, zatomizować
• Portuguese: atomizar (pt)
• Spanish: atomizar (es)

to make into a fine spray

• Bulgarian: разпрашвам (razprašvam), пулверизирам (pulveriziram)
• Catalan: atomitzar (ca)
• Finnish: muuttaa sumuksi
• Galician: atomizar (gl)
• German: atomisieren (de)
• Hungarian: porlaszt (hu)
• Irish: adamhaigh
• Polish: atomizować (pl) impf, zatomizować pf
• Portuguese: atomizar (pt)
• Spanish: atomizar (es)

to fragment, break into small pieces or concepts

• Catalan: atomitzar (ca)
• Finnish: pilkkoa (fi)
• French: décomposer (fr)
• Galician: atomizar (gl)
• German: atomisieren (de)
• Hungarian: atomizál (hu), szétforgácsol (hu)
• Polish: atomizować (pl) impf, zatomizować pf
• Portuguese: atomizar (pt)
• Spanish: atomizar (es)

to bomb with nuclear weapons

• Finnish: pommittaa ydinaseilla
• French: bombarder (fr), atomiser (fr)

See also

• dissociate

Galician

Verb

atomize

1. (reintegrationist norm) inflection of atomizar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Portuguese

Verb

atomize

1. inflection of atomizar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative