Noun
clinamen (plural clinamens or clinamina)
The unpredictable swerve of atoms, introduced as a concept by Lucretius to defend the atomistic doctrine of Epicurus.
Epicurus for the most part follows Democritean atomism but differs in proclaiming the clinamen (swerve or declination). Source: Internet
His theory differs from the earlier atomism of Democritus because he admits that atoms do not always follow straight lines but their direction of motion may occasionally exhibit a " swerve " (Greek: παρέγκλισις parenklisis; Latin: clinamen ). Source: Internet