The specific usage I'm thinking of is something like:
"He exerted a single ____ of effort to…" (blah blah blah).
The word I'm thinking of is "modicum" but after looking up the definition, that apparently just means "small quantity." I'm looking for a single word describing the smallest amount – like modicum – but also implies "indivisible" or something like that. Preferably a noun, so it fits the usage above without rewriting.
Am I crazy, or does a word like this exist? I swear a word like this exists.
Best Answer
Iota. (Or perhaps grain).
Such terms seem to be used more often in a negative context than a positive one, e.g. "You haven't done an iota of what I asked you to do before I went shopping!"