subatomic

[ suhb-uh-tom-ik ]

adjective

, Physics.

1. of or relating to a process that occurs within an atom.
2. noting or pertaining to a particle or particles contained in an atom, as electrons, protons, or neutrons.

subatomic

/ ˌsʌbəˈtɒmɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or being a particle making up an atom or a process occurring within atoms

   the electron is a subatomic particle

2. having dimensions smaller than atomic dimensions

subatomic

1. A descriptive term for objects and events within the atom .

Word History and Origins

Origin of subatomic¹

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + atomic

Example Sentences

Its particle/wave title alludes to the often mystifying duality of subatomic reality, which drove major scientific discovery for three centuries, from Isaac Newton to Albert Einstein.

From Los Angeles Times

Under two gargantuan domes of thick concrete and steel that rise along California’s rugged Central Coast, subatomic particles slam into uranium, triggering one of the most energetic reactions on Earth.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2012, Voyager 1 became the first human-made object to pass the heliopause frontier, where the fierce solar wind of subatomic particles yields to the force of other suns.

From New York Times

These QFTs, with their simplified space-time symmetry, serve as a laboratory environment, as they resemble real physical systems of subatomic particles but have certain mathematical properties that facilitate calculations.

From Science Daily

It's what "glues" quarks together to make up other subatomic particles, such as protons or neutrons.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• atomic