ATOMIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does atomize mean? 

• ATOMIZE (verb)
  The verb ATOMIZE has 3 senses:

1. spray very finely

2. strike at with firepower or bombs

3. break up into small particles

  Familiarity information: ATOMIZE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ATOMIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they atomize    ... he / she / it atomizes   
Past simple: atomized   
Past participle: atomized   
-ing form: atomizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Spray very finely

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

atomise; atomize

Context example:

atomize perfume

Hypernyms (to "atomize" is one way to...):

spray (scatter in a mass or jet of droplets)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

atomizer (a dispenser that turns a liquid (such as perfume) into a fine mist)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Strike at with firepower or bombs

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

atomise; atomize; nuke; zap

Context example:

zap the enemy

Hypernyms (to "atomize" is one way to...):

bomb; bombard (throw bombs at or attack with bombs)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

atomization (annihilation by reducing something to atoms)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Break up into small particles

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

atomise; atomize

Context example:

the fine powder had been atomized by air

Hypernyms (to "atomize" is one way to...):

break up; fragment; fragmentise; fragmentize (break or cause to break into pieces)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

atom ((physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element)

atomization (separating something into fine particles)

atomizer (a dispenser that turns a liquid (such as perfume) into a fine mist)

 Context examples 

A mass spectrometry technique that uses inductively-coupled plasma generated from argon gas to atomize and ionize a sample.

(Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, NCI Thesaurus)

A mass spectrometry technique in which a solid sample is atomized and ionized by sputtering in low-pressure direct-current plasma prior to the separation and detection of the ions in a mass analyzer.

(Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry, NCI Thesaurus)