clinamen
Noun
Meaning
clinamen (plural clinamens or clinamina)
The unpredictable swerve of atoms, introduced as a concept by Lucretius to defend the atomistic doctrine of Epicurus.
Examples
Epicurus for the most part follows Democritean atomism but differs in proclaiming the clinamen (swerve or declination).
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 ).