Diatomic
/ˌdaɪ.əˈtɒm.ɪk/noun
Consisting of two atoms.
Did you know?The second half comes from Greek *tomos* (“a cutting”), the same root behind *atom*—so this word quietly carries the old idea of something that can be split.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
di-
“two”
Ancient Greek
Greek
tomos
“a cutting, slice”
Late Greek
Greek
diatomos
“cut in two”
19th Century
English
diatomic
“having two atoms in a molecule”
Modern English
English
diatomic
“consisting of two atoms”