atom Yとは 意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈætəmi/
• (General American) IPA: /ˈætəmi/, [-ɾə-]

語源 1

A variant of atomi, the plural of atomus (“hypothetical particle posited as an ultimate and indivisible component of matter; mote of dust in a sunbeam”) treated as a singular form. Atomus is derived from Latin atomus, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos, “indivisible”, adjective), from ᾰ̓- (ă-, prefix forming terms having an opposite sense) + τομ- (tom-) (stem of τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- (“to cut”)) + -ος (-os, suffix forming nouns of action or result). Doublet of atom.

名詞

atomy (plural atomy or atomies)

1. A tiny particle; an atom, a mote, a speck.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:modicum

   • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], page 199:

     Thou tellſt me there is murder in mine eye, / 'Tis pretty ſure, and very probable, / That eyes, that are the frailſt and ſofteſt things, / VVho ſhut their covvard gates on atomyes, / Should be called tyrants, butchers, murtherers.

     Phebe, a shepherdess, mocks Silvius, a shepherd, by saying that it is probable that eyes, which are the frailest and softest things, and shut their eyelids (“coward gates”) when encountering tiny particles, are murderers.

   • 1859, Charles Dickens, “The Wine-shop”, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book I (Recalled to Life), page 19:

     […] Hunger. It was prevalent everywhere. […] Hunger was shred into atomies in every farthing porringer of husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil.

   1. A floating mote or speck of dust.
      • 1595, Iruis [i.e., Gervase] Markham, The Most Honorable Tragedie of Sir Richard Grinuile, Knight, London: […] I. Roberts, for Richard Smith, →OCLC; republished in Edward Arber, editor, The Last Fight of the Revenge at Sea; under the Command of Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Grenville, on the 10–11th of September, 1591. Described by Sir Walter Raleigh, November, 1591. Gervase Markham, 1595. and Jan Huygen van ’Linschoten, in Dutch, 1596; English, 1598; and Latin, 1599 (English Reprints), Southgate, London: [Muir and Paterson, […]], 15 November 1871, →OCLC, page 70:

        [T]hicker then in ſunne are Atomies, / Flew bullets, fier, and ſlaughtered dead mens cries.

      • [1616, I. B. [i.e., John Bullokar], “Atomie”, in An English Expositor: Teaching the Interpretation of the Hardest Words Vsed in Our Language. […], London: […] John Legatt [John Legate?], →OCLC, signature B3, verso, column 1:

        Atomie. A mote flying in the ſunne.]

      • 1822 June–July (date written), Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Triumph of Life”, in Mary W[ollstonecraft] Shelley, editor, Posthumous Poems of Percy Bysshe Shelley, London: […] [C. H. Reynell] for John and Henry L[eigh] Hunt, […], published 1824, →OCLC, page 91:

        [T]he crew / Seemed in that light, like atomies to dance / Within a sunbeam;— […]

      • 1827–1879 (date written), Alfred Tennyson, “Part II”, in The Lover’s Tale, London: C[harles] Kegan Paul & Co., […], published 1879, →OCLC, page 65:

        Betwixt the close-set ivies came a broad / And solid beam of isolated light, / Crowded with driving atomies, and fell / Slanting upon that picture, from prime youth / Well-known well-loved.

      • 1880, Hâjî Abdû El-Yezdî [pseudonym; Richard Francis Burton], translated by F[rank] B[aker] [pseudonym], The Kasîdah (Couplets) […]: A Lay of the Higher Law. […], London: Bernard Quaritch, […], →OCLC, page 6:

        The marvel is that man can smile dreaming his ghostly ghastly dream;— / Better the heedless atomy that buzzes in the morning beam!

   2. (archaic) The smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something; an atom.
      • 1595, Iruis [i.e., Gervase] Markham, The Most Honorable Tragedie of Sir Richard Grinuile, Knight, London: […] I. Roberts, for Richard Smith, →OCLC; republished in Edward Arber, editor, The Last Fight of the Revenge at Sea; under the Command of Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Grenville, on the 10–11th of September, 1591. Described by Sir Walter Raleigh, November, 1591. Gervase Markham, 1595. and Jan Huygen van ’Linschoten, in Dutch, 1596; English, 1598; and Latin, 1599 (English Reprints), Southgate, London: [Muir and Paterson, […]], 15 November 1871, →OCLC, page 55:

        Spayne then enamour'd with the Romane trull, / Calls all her forces, more then Atomies, / And tells Ill-fortunes ſtorie to the full; […]

      • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 196, column 2:

        It is as eaſie to count Atomies as to reſolue the propoſitions of a Louer: […]

      • [1609, Robert Cawdrey, T[homas] C[awdrey], “atomie”, in A Table Alphabeticall: Conteyning and Teaching the True Writing and Vnderstanding of Hard Vsuall English Wordes, Borrowed from the Hebrew, Greeke, Latine, or French &c. […], 2nd edition, London: […] T. S. for Edmund Weauer, […], →OCLC, signature B3, verso:

        atomie, […] a thing ſo ſmall that it cannot bée deuided.]

      • 1610, Gervase Markham, “Of the Foure Elements, Their Vertues and Operations”, in Markhams Maister-peece. Or, What doth a Horse-man Lacke. Containing All Possible Knowledge whatsoeuer which doth Belong to any Smith, Farrier, or Horse-leech, Touching the Curing of All Manner of Diseases or Sorrances in Horses; […], London: […] Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson, […], →OCLC, 1st book (Containing All Cures Physicall, […]), page 4:

        Laſtly, it [an element] is the leaſt part or Atomie of that thing vvhich is made, or proceedeth from it.

      • 1611, J[ohn] Donne, “An Anatomie of the World. Wherein, by Occasion of the Untimely Death of Mistris Elizabeth Drury, the Frailty and the Decay of this Whole World is Represented. The First Anniversary.”, in Poems, […] with Elegies on the Authors Death, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for Iohn Marriot, […], published 1633, →OCLC, page 242:

        And freely men confeſſe that this vvorld's ſpent, / VVhen in the Planets, and the firmament / They ſeeke ſo many nevv; they ſee that this / Is crumbled out againe to his Atomies. / 'Tis all in peeces, all coherence gone; […]

      • 1612 (date written), T. R., “Newes, from Any Whence: Or Old Truthes vnder a Supposall of Noueltie. […]. Country Newes.”, in Thomas Overburye [i.e. Thomas Overbury], A Wife Now the Widdow of Sir Thomas Overburye. Being a Most Exquisite and Singular Poem of the Choice of a Wife. […], London: […] [Edward Griffin] for Lawrence Lisle, […], published 1614, →OCLC, signature G, verso:

        [C]ircumſtances are the atomies of policie, cenſure the being, action the life, but ſucceſſe the ornament.

      • 1622, Michael Drayton, “The Fiue and Twentieth Song”, in The Second Part, or A Continuance of Poly-Olbion from the Eighteenth Song. […], London: […] Augustine Mathewes for Iohn Marriott, Iohn Grismand, and Thomas Dewe, →OCLC, page 109:

        Thinke not that all betvvixt the VVherpoole, and the Sprat, / I goe about to name, that vvere to take in hand, / The Atomy to tell, or to caſt vp the ſand; […]

        The author says the reader should not think that he intends to name all sea creatures from the “whirlpool” (a type of large whale) to the tiny sprat, as this would be like counting atoms or grains of sand.

      • 1641, Thomas Herbert, An Elegie upon the Death of Thomas Earle of Strafford, Lord Lievtenant of Ireland. […], [London]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 6:

        [P]raiſe thy God, / O be not ſelfe-conceited, leaſt his rod / Doe bruiſe thee into Atomies;

2. (figurative, archaic except UK, dialectal) A very small being; a mite.

   Synonym: (UK, informal) titch

   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] Romeo and Iuliet. […] (Second Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, […], published 1599, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], signature C2, recto:

     O then I ſee Queene Mab hath bin vvith you: She is the Fairies mid-vvife, and ſhe comes in ſhape no bigger thẽ [then; i.e., than] an Agot ſtone, on the forefinger of an Alderman, dravvne vvith a teeme of little ottamie, ouer mens noſes as they lie aſleep: […]

   • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter IX, in Romance and Reality. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 71:

     Was there a "delicate atomy" of minute dimensions and pale complexion, he forthwith strutted a hardy Highlander.

   • 1862 August – 1863 March, Charles Kingsley, chapter VIII, in The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby, London; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., published 1863, →OCLC, pages 331–332:

     "Hey!" he said, "why, it's Tom! I suppose you have come here to laugh at me, you spiteful little atomy?"

   • 1934 April, Rudyard Kiping, “‘Proofs of Holy Writ’”, in Uncollected Prose: Volume II (The Sussex Edition of the Complete Works in Prose and Verse of Rudyard Kipling; XXX), London: Macmillan and Company […], published 1938, →OCLC, page 339:

     But why waste time fighting atomies who do not come up to your belly-button, Ben?

語源 2

From atom +‎ -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’).

形容詞

atomy (comparative more atomy, superlative most atomy)

1. Made up of tiny particles.

   Synonym: atomic

   • 1918, George Rostrevor [Hamilton], “Thoughts”, in Escape and Fantasy: Poems, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 19:

     Things that flit in the sky or creep / In the atomy dust, or swarm in the deep, […]

2. Resembling a tiny particle; atomlike.

   Synonym: atomic

   • 1880, Mark Twain [pseudonym] (Samuel L[anghorne] Clemens), chapter XXXV, in A Tramp Abroad; […], Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company; London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 398:

     Hour after hour we slopped along, by the roaring torrent, and under noble Lesser Alps which were clothed in rich velvety green all the way up and had little atomy Swiss homes perched upon grassy benches along their mist-dimmed heights.

   • 1894 May 4, Richard Henry Savage, chapter VIII, in The Princess of Alaska: A Tale of Two Countries. […], Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Rand, McNally & Company, published [1897], →OCLC, book II (Under a New Flag), page 235:

     Imagination can not paint a history with as many unturned leaves, with the print of the Creator fresh in fadeless colors, as that of the atomy speck, hurled through space, which we mortals call the world!— […]

語源 3

Rebracketing of anatomy (“skeleton”) as an atomy; compare notomy.

名詞

atomy (plural atomies)

1. (archaic) A skeleton. [from 16th c.]

   Synonym: (UK, dialectal, obsolete) notomy

   • 1728, [John] Gay, The Beggar’s Opera. […], London: […] John Watts, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 19:

     Poor Brother Tom had an Accident this time Tvvelve-month, and ſo clever a made Fellovv he vvas, that I could not ſave him from thoſe fleaing Raſcals the Surgeons; and novv, poor Man, he is among the Otamys at Surgeon's Hall.

   • 1755, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, “Of Certain Accidents that Befel Sancho [Panza] upon the Road; and Other Circumstances, which to Know You Need only Look Forward”, in T[obias] Smollett, transl., The History and Adventures of the Renowned Don Quixote. […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, part II, book IV, page 347:

     From this cavern (vvhen heaven ſhall be pleaſed to diſcover them) my bones, together vvith thoſe of my honeſt friend Dapple, vvill be taken up ſmooth, and vvhite, and bare as an atomy; […]

   • 1769 April 1, [Tobias Smollett], The History and Adventures of an Atom. […], volume I, London: […] Robinson and Roberts, […], →OCLC, page 2:

     I vvas novv throvvn into a violent perturbation of ſpirit; for I never could behold an atomy vvithout fear and trembling, even vvhen I knevv it vvas no more than a compoſition of dry bones; but the conceit of being in preſence of an atomy informed vvith ſpirit, that is, animated by a ghoſt or goblin, increaſed my terrors exceedingly.

   • 1823, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter XIII, in The Pioneers, or The Sources of the Susquehanna; […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Charles Wiley;  […], →OCLC, page 191:

     He had coloured his sides, so that they looked just like an atomy, ribs and all; for Chingachgook had a great notion in such things: so that, what with his bold, fiery countenance, his knife, and his tomahawk, I have never seed a fiercer warrior on the ground.

   • 1866, Christina Rossetti, “The Prince’s Progress”, in The Prince’s Progress and Other Poems, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 11:

     The veriest atomy he looked, / With grimy fingers clutching and crooked, / Tight skin, a nose all bony and hooked, / And a shaking, sharp, suspicious way; […]

2. (figurative)
   1. (UK, dialectal) A person who is very emaciated or thin; a skeleton.

      Synonyms: bag of bones, (UK, dialectal, obsolete) notomy, skin and bones; see also Thesaurus:thin person

      • c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv], signature K3, verso:

        Hoſt[ess, i.e., Mistress Quickly]. I [aye] come, you ſtarude blood-hound. / VVhoore [Doll Tearsheet]. Goodman death, goodman bones. / Hoſt. Thou Atomy, thou. / VVhoore. Come you thinne thing, come you raſcall.

        The characters are mocking a very thin beadle who is arresting them.

      • 1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “Dialogue I”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, […], London: […] B[enjamin] Motte […], published 1738, →OCLC, page 90:

        VVhy, my Lord, ſhe vvas handſome in her Timne; but ſhe cannot eat her Cake, and have her Cake: I hear ſhe's grovvn a mere Otomy.

   2. (obsolete) Chiefly in the works of the English author Charles Dickens (1812–1870): a thing which is very slender and weak.
      • 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, “In which the Wooden Midshipman Gets into Trouble”, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 86:

        [T]he contents of his plate chest, consisting of two withered atomies of teaspoons, and an obsolete pair of knock-knee'd sugar tongs; […]

      • 1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, “Home”, in Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC, 1st book (Poverty), page 28:

        They mounted up and up, through the musty smell of an old close house, little used, to a large garret bed-room. Meagre and spare, like all the other rooms, it was even uglier and grimmer than the rest, by being the place of banishment for the worn out furniture. Its moveables were […] a bedstead with four bare atomies of posts, each terminating in a spike, as if for the dismal accommodation of lodgers who might prefer to impale themselves.

参照

Further reading

• atom on Wikipedia.Wikipedia