atmo
|at-mo|
🇺🇸
/ˈætmoʊ/
🇬🇧
/ˈætməʊ/
vapor / air (in compounds)
Etymology
'atmo' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'atmós' (ἀτμός), where the root meant 'vapor'.
'atmo' entered scientific English via New Latin and coinages in the 18th–19th centuries (e.g., 'atmosphere' from Greek 'atmós' + 'sphaira'), becoming a productive combining form in modern scientific vocabulary.
Initially it meant 'vapor' in Greek; over time it came to denote 'air' or 'the gaseous envelope' and was used as a combining form in scientific terms; more recently it is also used colloquially as an abbreviation for 'atmosphere' or to mean 'ambience'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
informal abbreviation of 'atmosphere' referring to the layer of gases surrounding a planet (or, less formally, to atmospheric pressure).
Scientists measured the composition of the Mars atmo during the mission.
Synonyms
Noun 2
colloquial use meaning the mood, ambience, or general feeling of a place or event ('the atmo was relaxed').
The atmo at the café was calm and friendly.
Synonyms
Particle 1
combining form (from Greek) meaning 'vapor' or 'air', used in scientific terms such as atmosphere, atmometer, etc.
The prefix atmo- denotes air or vapor in scientific terms like atmosphere and atmometer.
Last updated: 2025/11/12 06:38