1. Quizzes & Games
  2. Word of the Day
  3. Video
  4. New Words
 

molecule
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.


mol·e·cule

noun \ˈmä-li-ˌkyül\

Definition of MOLECULE

1
: the smallest particle of a substance that retains all the properties of the substance and is composed of one or more atoms
2
: a tiny bit : particle
See molecule defined for English-language learners »
See molecule defined for kids »

Examples of MOLECULE

  1. There is not a molecule of evidence to support these charges.
  2. <not a molecule of sense in that girl>

Origin of MOLECULE

French molécule, from New Latin molecula, diminutive of Latin moles mass
First Known Use: 1794

Related to MOLECULE

Synonyms
atom, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, bit, morsel, mote, nubbin, nugget, particle, patch, scrap, scruple, snip, snippet, speck, tittle

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

Rhymes with MOLECULE

April fool, Barnaul, blow one's cool, boarding school, charter school, common school, cutty stool, dirty pool, ducking stool, fascicule, gallinule, grammar school, graticule, groupuscule, Hartlepool, Istanbul, kilojoule, lenticule, Liverpool, machine tool, magnet school, majuscule, middle school, minischool, minuscule, motor pool, normal school, nursery school, overrule, private school, public school, reform school, reticule, ridicule, summer school, Sunday school, training school, vestibule, wading pool

mol·e·cule

noun \ˈmäl-i-ˌkyü(ə)l\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of MOLECULE

: the smallest particle of a substance that retains all the properties of the substance and is composed of one or more atoms

molecule

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Several methods of representing a molecule's structure. In Lewis structures, element symbols …—© Merriam-Webster Inc.

Smallest identifiable unit into which a pure substance can be divided and retain its composition and chemical properties. Division into still smaller parts, eventually atoms, involves destroying the bonding that holds the molecule together. For noble gases, the molecule is a single atom; all other substances have two (diatomic) or more (polyatomic) atoms in a molecule. The atoms are the same in elements, such as hydrogen (H), and different in compounds, such as glucose (CHO). Atoms always combine into molecules in fixed proportions. Molecules of different substances can have the same constituent atoms, either in different proportions, as in carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO), or bonded in different ways (see isomer). The covalent bonds in molecules give them their shapes and most of their properties. (The concept of molecules has no significance in solids with ionic bonds.) Analysis with modern techniques and computers can determine and display the size, shape, and configuration of molecules, the positions of their nuclei and electron clouds, the lengths and angles of their bonds, and other details. Electron microscopy can even produce images of individual molecules and atoms. See also molecular weight.

Learn More About MOLECULE

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: molehill
Previous Word in the Dictionary: molecular weight
All Words Near: molecule

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up molecule? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Name That Thing

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Get Our Free Apps
Voice Search, Favorites,
Word of the Day, and More
iPhone | iPad | Android | More
Join Us on FB & Twitter
Get the Word of the Day and More
Facebook | Twitter