Subatomically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that relates to the minute components of matter and their interactions at levels smaller than atoms
2. Pertaining to the fundamental particles that make up atoms and their interactions on a subatomic scale
3. In a manner concerning the exceedingly small particles that constitute atoms and their behavior beyond atomic dimensions

Etymology: "Subatomically" is a plain formation: it takes "subatomic", meaning smaller than an atom or relating to particles inside atoms, and adds the adverbial ending "-ally", which turns an adjective into an adverb describing how or where something happens. So the word means "at particle level" or "in a way involving particles smaller than an atom." The base word "subatomic" is built from "sub-", a Latin prefix meaning "under" or "below," and "atomic," which comes from "atom." The Greek "atomos" meant "uncuttable" or "indivisible," a name chosen for the idea that matter was made of pieces too small to divide further. Physicists later discovered that atoms themselves have internal parts, so "subatomic" was coined to describe what lies beneath that old limit. The adverb simply follows the same pattern, adding the sense of acting or occurring at that scale.