atomy

1. (archaic) A floating mote or speck of dust.Examples: "And thicker then in sunne are Atomies, Flew bullets, fier, and slaughtered dead mens cries."; "That eyes, that are the frail’st and softest things Who shut their coward gates on atomies Should be call’d tyrants, butchers, murderers!"; "Thinke not that all betwixt the Wherpoole, and the Sprat, I goe about to name, that were to take in hand, The Atomy to tell, or to cast vp the sand;"archaic

2. (archaic) An indivisible particle.Examples: "Lastly, it [an Element] is the least part or Atomie of that thing which is made, or proceedeth from it."; "And freely men confesse that this world’s spent, When in the Planets, and the firmament They seeke so many new; they see that this Is crumbled out againe to his Atomies."; "[…] praise thy God, O be not selfe-conceited, least his rod Doe bruise thee into Atomies;"Synonyms: atomarchaic

3. (archaic) A tiny being; a very small person.Examples: "[…] she [Queen Mab] comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone On the fore-finger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomies Athwart men’s noses as they lie asleep;"; "Was there a "delicate atomy" of minute dimensions and pale complexion, he forthwith strutted a hardy Highlander."; "“Hey!” he said, “why, it’s Tom! I suppose you have come here to laugh at me, you spiteful little atomy?”"archaic