atomize

English

Alternative forms

• atomise (non-Oxford British English)

Etymology

From atom +‎ -ize.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈætəmaɪz/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To separate or reduce into atoms.
2. (transitive) To make into a fine spray.
3. (transitive) To fragment; to break into small pieces or concepts.
   • 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.

4. (transitive) To bomb with nuclear weapons.

Derived terms

• atomizability
• atomizable
• atomization
• atomizer

Translations

to separate or reduce into atoms

Finnish: hajottaa atomeiksi French: atomiser (fr) Galician: atomizar (gl) German: atomisieren (de) Maori: ngotangota Polish: atomizować 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) Irish: adamhaigh Polish: atomizować impf, zatomizować pf Portuguese: atomizar (pt) Spanish: atomizar (es)

to fragment, break into small pieces or concepts

Finnish: pilkkoa (fi) French: décomposer (fr) Galician: atomizar (gl) German: atomisieren (de) Polish: atomizować 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