Atomic

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}, {atomic}] [ant: {conventional}]
    3: immeasurably small
    

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.

   [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

   <jargon> (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)
    

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