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atomo

atom

noun AH-toh-moh Rare

Origin: Greek atomos 'indivisible' (a- 'not' + temnein 'to cut').

Usage Note

Atomo is masculine and has the regular plural atomi. Stress falls on the first syllable — a common learner error is to stress the middle syllable. In figurative use, neanche un atomo di ('not a single atom of') expresses complete absence, similar to English 'not an ounce of'.

Examples

"Ogni molecola d'acqua contiene due atomi di idrogeno."

Natural Translation

Every water molecule contains two hydrogen atoms.

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