Both Uses of
molecule
in
Les Miserables
- Who, then, can calculate the course of a molecule?†
Chpt 4.3 *molecule = the smallest amount of a chemical substance that can exist by itself
- The soaked soil is in a state of fusion, as it were; all its molecules are in suspension in soft medium; it is not earth and it is not water.†
Chpt 5.3molecules = chemical substance comprised of the smallest amount of a chemical substance that can exist by itself
Definitions:
-
(1)
(molecule) the smallest amount of a chemical substance that can exist by itself -- usually consisting of 2 or more atoms
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Less commonly, molecule is used informally to refer to anything that is very small.