noun

molecule

molecule

A water molecule has two hydrogen atoms.

A water molecule has two hydrogen atoms.

Molecules are the smallest units of a substance.

Molecules are the smallest units of a substance.

a ((molecule)) of (sth.) a group of atoms bonded together A water molecule has two hydrogen atoms.

Synonyms: atom, particle, compound

From French "molécule", a diminutive of Latin "moles" (mass). Literally "a small mass".

"Mole-" sounds like "small" (like a mole on the skin), and "-cule" is a diminutive suffix (like in "minuscule"). A tiny thing.

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