molecule

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: mol=e=cule

CIDE DICTIONARY

molecule, n. [Dim. fr. L. moles a mass: cf. F. molécule. See 3d Mole.].

•  One of the very small invisible particles of which all ordinary matter is supposed to consist.  [1913 Webster]
•  The smallest part of any substance which possesses the characteristic properties and qualities of that substance, and which can exist alone in a free state.  [1913 Webster]
•  A group of atoms so united and combined by chemical affinity that they form a complete, integrated whole, being the smallest portion of any particular compound that can exist in a free state; as, a molecule of water consists of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Cf. Atom.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

molecule, n.
1 Chem. the smallest fundamental unit (usu. a group of atoms) of a chemical compound that can take part in a chemical reaction.
2 (in general use) a small particle.

Etymology

F mol{eacute}cule f. mod.L molecula dimin. of L moles mass

DEVIL DICTIONARY

molecule

n. The ultimate, indivisible unit of matter. It is distinguished from the corpuscle, also the ultimate, indivisible unit of matter, by a closer resemblance to the atom, also the ultimate, indivisible unit of matter. Three great scientific theories of the structure of the universe are the molecular, the corpuscular and the atomic. A fourth affirms, with Haeckel, the condensation of precipitation of matter from ether -- whose existence is proved by the condensation of precipitation. The present trend of scientific thought is toward the theory of ions. The ion differs from the molecule, the corpuscle and the atom in that it is an ion. A fifth theory is held by idiots, but it is doubtful if they know any more about the matter than the others.

THESAURUS

molecule

Kekule formula, ace, acid, acidity, agent, air, alkali, alkalinity, alloisomer, anion, antacid, atom, atomic cluster, atomic particles, base, benzene ring, biochemical, bit, branched chain, brute matter, building block, cation, chain, chemical, chemical element, chromoisomer, closed chain, component, compound, compound radical, constituent, copolymer, cycle, dab, dimer, dole, dot, dram, dribble, driblet, dwarf, earth, electron, element, elementary particle, elementary unit, farthing, fire, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, fundamental particle, gobbet, grain, granule, groat, hair, handful, heavy chemicals, heterocycle, high polymer, homocycle, homopolymer, hydracid, hyle, hypostasis, inorganic chemical, ion, iota, isomer, jot, lattice, little, little bit, lota, macromolecule, material, material world, materiality, matter, meson, metamer, minim, minimum, minutiae, mite, modicum, monad, monomer, mote, natural world, nature, neutralizer, nonacid, nuclear particle, nutshell, organic chemical, ounce, oxyacid, particle, pebble, physical world, pinch, pittance, plenum, point, polymer, proton, pseudoisomer, quark, radical, ray, reagent, ring, scruple, side chain, simple radical, smidgen, smitch, space-lattice, speck, spoonful, spot, straight chain, stuff, substance, substratum, sulfacid, the four elements, thimbleful, tiny bit, tittle, trifling amount, trimer, trivia, unit of being, water, whit

ROGET THESAURUS

molecule

Smallness

N smallness, littleness, tenuity, paucity, fewness, meanness, insignificance (unimportance), mediocrity, moderation, small quantity, modicum, trace, hint, minimum, vanishing point, material point, atom, particle, molecule, corpuscle, point, speck, dot, mote, jot, iota, ace, minutiae, details, look, thought, idea, soupcon, dab, dight, whit, tittle, shade, shadow, spark, scintilla, gleam, touch, cast, grain, scruple, granule, globule, minim, sup, sip, sop, spice, drop, droplet, sprinkling, dash, morceau, screed, smack, tinge, tincture, inch, patch, scantling, tatter, cantlet, flitter, gobbet, mite, bit, morsel, crumb, seed, fritter, shive, snip, snippet, snick, snack, snatch, slip, scrag, chip, chipping, shiver, sliver, driblet, clipping, paring, shaving, hair, nutshell, thimbleful, spoonful, handful, capful, mouthful, fragment, fraction, drop in the ocean, animalcule, trifle, mere nothing, next to nothing, hardly anything, just enough to swear by, the shadow of a shade, finiteness, finite quantity, small, little, diminutive, minute, fine, inconsiderable, paltry, faint, slender, light, slight, scanty, scant, limited, meager, sparing, few, low, so-so, middling, tolerable, no great shakes, below par, under par, below the mark, at a low ebb, halfway, moderate, modest, tender, subtle, inappreciable, evanescent, infinitesimal, homeopathic, very small, atomic, corpuscular, microscopic, molecular, subatomic, mere, simple, sheer, stark, bare, near run, dull, petty, shallow, stolid, ungifted, unintelligent, to a small extent, on a small scale, a little bit, a wee bit, slightly, imperceptibly, miserably, wretchedly, insufficiently, imperfectly, faintly, passably, pretty well, well enough, partially, in part, in a certain degree, to a certain degree, to a certain extent, comparatively, some, rather in some degree, in some measure, something, somewhat, simply, only, purely, merely, at least, at the least, at most, at the most, ever so little, as little as may be, tant soit peu, in ever so small a degree, thus far, pro tanto, within bounds, in a manner, after a fashion, so to speak, almost, nearly, well-nigh, short of, not quite, all but, near upon, close upon, peu s'en faut, near the mark, within an ace of, within an inch of, on the brink of, scarcely, hardly, barely, only just, no more than, about, thereabouts, somewhere about, nearly, say, be the same, be little more or less, no ways, no way, no wise, not at all, not in the least, not a bit, not a bit of it, not a whit, not a jot, not a shadow, in no wise, in no respect, by no means, by no manner of means, on no account, at no hand, dare pondus idonea fumo, magno conatu magnas nugas, small sands the mountain, moments make the year.