particle
particle Lexical Profile
particle Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A minute portion, piece, or fragment of physical matter.
"The air filter is designed to trap microscopic particles of dust and pollen."
In physics, a small localized object to which physical or chemical properties such as volume, density, or mass can be ascribed, including subatomic constituents like electrons, protons, and quarks.
"Physicists use giant accelerators to study how subatomic particles interact at high speeds."
The least possible amount or degree of an abstract quality or feeling.
"There is not a single particle of truth in the rumors circulating about the company."
In grammar, an uninflected function word (such as an adverb, preposition, or conjunction) that has little lexical meaning on its own and often combines with a verb to form a phrasal verb.
"In the phrasal verb 'look up', the word 'up' functions as a grammatical particle rather than a preposition."
• Rhymes for particle
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Latin 'particula', meaning 'little bit or part, grain, or jot', which is the diminutive form of 'pars' ('part' or 'piece').