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subatomic

[suhb-uh-tom-ik]
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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.
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Origin of subatomic

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + atomic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for subatomic

subatomic

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or being a particle making up an atom or a process occurring within atomsthe electron is a subatomic particle
  2. having dimensions smaller than atomic dimensions
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for subatomic

adj.

1903, from sub-atom (1880), from sub- + atomic.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
subatomic in Medicine

subatomic

(sŭb′ə-tŏm′ĭk)
adj.
  1. Of or relating to the constituents of the atom.
  2. Having dimensions or participating in reactions characteristic of the constituents of the atom.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
subatomic in Culture

subatomic

A descriptive term for objects and events within the atom.

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.