Particle

Quick meaning: Particle is a noun meaning A very small piece of matter, a fragment; especially, the smallest possible part of something.

Meaning

A very small piece of matter, a fragment; especially, the smallest possible part of something.

More Meanings

1. (physics) Any of various physical objects making up the constituent parts of an atom; an elementary particle or subatomic particle.
2. (linguistics) A part of speech which cannot be inflected.
3. (Christianity) In the Roman Catholic church, a crumb of consecrated bread; also the smaller breads used in the communion of the laity.
4. A little bit.
5. (grammar) A part of speech that has no inherent lexical definition but must be associated with another word to impart meaning, often a grammatical category: for example, the English word to in a full infinitive phrase (to eat) or O in a vocative phrase (O Canada), or as a discourse marker (mmm).

Example Sentences

What, he asked himself, does quantum theory have to say about the familiar properties of particles such as position?

Not every exasperated petty bourgeois could have become Hitler, but a particle of Hitler is lodged in every exasperated petty bourgeois.

The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.

322. The parts of speech which are neither declined nor conjugated, are called by the general name of particles. 323. They are adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Word Forms

• particles

Synonyms for particle

Depending on context, synonyms include bit, chip, chunk, clip, crumb, crumbling.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include speck, mote, atom, shred, piece, grading.

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