Angstroms

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɔŋ.stɹəmz/

Definitions

1. A tiny unit of length equivalent to one ten-billionth of a meter, frequently employed in scientific measurements for wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
2. A metric distance measurement that equals 0.1 nanometers, commonly used in spectroscopy and atomic physics
3. A unit of measure used to express extremely small distances, especially on the atomic scale, equal to one ten-billionth of a meter

Etymology: Anders Jonas Ångström was a Swedish physicist who measured the wavelengths of light with great precision, and the unit that bears his name was built for exactly that job. The word "angstrom" came into English as a borrowing from Swedish "ångström", a direct tribute to him. The Swedish spelling carries a ring over the first letter, which English usage later dropped. Because the unit is tiny, a tenth of a nanometer, it suits the scale of atoms and the wavelengths of X-rays and ultraviolet light, where ordinary units become clumsy. Spectroscopists and atomic physicists therefore reach for it constantly. "Angstroms" is simply the plural of "angstrom", following the regular English rule of adding an "s".