atmophile
|at-mo-phile|
/ˈæt.mə.faɪl/
atmosphere-loving
Etymology
'atmophile' originates from Greek via scientific coinage, specifically from the combining form 'atmo-' from Greek 'atmós' meaning 'vapor, air' and the suffix '-phile' from Greek 'philos' meaning 'loving' or 'fond of'.
'atmós' gave the combining form 'atmo-' in Neo-Latin/Modern scientific terminology; combined with '-phile' to form the technical coinage 'atmophile' in modern scientific literature (early 20th century), which entered English usage in geochemistry.
Initially the Greek roots literally meant 'air/vapor lover', but in modern scientific use the term evolved to mean 'an element or compound that prefers the atmosphere' and only rarely is used metaphorically for a person who loves the open air.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in geochemistry, an element or compound that preferentially partitions into the atmosphere (and often the hydrosphere); typically volatile elements such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and the noble gases.
In Goldschmidt's classification of elements, hydrogen and the noble gases are classified as atmophiles.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/12 10:50