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ATM abbreviation of "automated teller machine," a computerized machine serving the function of a bank teller.
atman in Hinduism, the individual soul striving for enlightenment; breath of life. [2 definitions]
ATM card a plastic card that enables the holder to access an automated teller machine to obtain cash drawn from or charged against a bank account.
atmosphere the mass of gases surrounding the earth or any other celestial body. [3 definitions]
atmospheric of, pertaining to, or consisting of the mass of gases surrounding the earth. [2 definitions]
atmospheric river a very long and narrow wind corridor that transports a vast amount of water vapor through the sky, which can result in drenching rainstorms for particular areas.
atmospherics (used with a sing. verb) static in radio reception caused by atmospheric electrical activity. [2 definitions]
at odds not in agreement; out of harmony.
atoll a ring-shaped island or reef that surrounds a lagoon.
atom an invisible component of any element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons, once considered the smallest possible unit of matter. [2 definitions]
atom bomb see "atomic bomb."
atomic of or relating to atoms or to the use of atoms in creating energy. [3 definitions]
atomic age (often cap.) the period in history characterized by the development and use of atomic energy in the generation of electrical power and for immensely destructive weapons.
atomic bomb an extremely destructive weapon, the explosive power of which derives from the immense amount of energy suddenly released when the nuclei of uranium 235 or plutonium atoms are split; atom bomb.
atomic clock an extremely accurate timekeeping device regulated by the reliably constant frequency at which atoms of certain highly reactive substances absorb or emit electromagnetic radiation.
atomic cocktail (informal) a dose of a liquid, taken orally, that contains a radioactive substance used in the diagnosis or treatment of cancer.
atomic energy the energy that is released by an atom in nuclear reactions such as fission or fusion. [2 definitions]
atomicity the number of atoms in a molecule. [2 definitions]
atomic mass unit a unit equal to one twelfth of the mass of an atom of the most abundant kind of carbon, equal to 1.6605 times 1024 gram.
atomic number the number of protons or positive electrical charges in the nucleus of one atom of a given element. [2 definitions]
atomic pile see "nuclear reactor."