diatom
/ˈdaɪ.əˌtɔm/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.10 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of a group of minute unicellular algae having a siliceous covering of great delicacy, now categorized as class Diatomophyceae or division Bacillariophyta.
Example Sentences
- "Diatoms are enclosed in two shells that fit together like a pillbox."
- "Diatoms are characterized by a cell wall called a fistula made of silica, which usually has two overlapping sections."
- "We show here, through a systematic study of the covalent chemical bond covering the entire periodic system, that the maximum bond multiplicity is six. The maximum value is reached by the tungsten diatom, W₂. No other pair of atoms in the periodic system (atomic numbers smaller than about 100) reaches a higher bond order."
Etymology
From (deprecated) genus name Diatoma, from Ancient Greek διάτομος (diátomos, “cut through, cut in half”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈdaɪ.əˌtɔm/
- British English: /ˈdaɪ.ə.təm/