Where does “molecule” come from?

Molecule derives from French molécule, from Latin moles meaning "mass" or "lump," with the diminutive suffix -culus, itself from -lus.

molecule (English): The smallest particle of a specific element or...

Definitions

  1. The smallest particle of a specific element or...

Ancestry of “molecule”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchmoléculemolecule
2New Latinmoleculaa molecule; molecule
3Latinmōlēsmultitude, mass (of material)

Words derived from “molecule

Every word from Latin mōlēs