A.Word.A.Day --quantum

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Today's Word

quantum

PRONUNCIATION:

(KWAHN-tuhm)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A quantity or amount.
2. A portion.
3. A large amount.
4. The smallest amount of something that can exist independently.

adjective:
1. Large.
2. Relating to the quantum theory.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin quantus (how much or how great). In physics, a quantum jump or quantum leap is usually a small change, while in popular usage the term is used to mean a significant change. Earliest documented use: 1567.

USAGE:

“A quantum jump in the volume of traffic has made major snarls on the capital’s periphery a routine affair for commuters.”
Dipak Kumar Dash; New Roadmap; The Times of India (New Delhi); Nov 7, 2009.

See more usage examples of quantum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Where it is a duty to worship the sun, it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -John Morley, statesman and writer (1838-1923)

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