particle

The word “particle” means a very small piece or amount of matter. In plain terms, a tiny piece of something — of matter, or (in grammar) a small connecting word.

“Particle” is pronounced PAH-tihkl (/ˈpɑɹtək(ə)l/ in IPA).

Here is “particle” used in a sentence: “Dust particles floated in the beam of sunlight.”

“Particle” is a noun.

The word “particle” comes from Latin. From Latin particula, "small part," a diminutive of pars, "part.".

“Particle” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Particle” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a very small piece or amount of matter.

A particle is any very small piece or amount of matter, and the word is quite general. A molecule is a specific structure of two or more atoms bonded together, so a molecule can be one kind of particle, but not all particles are molecules.

In physics an atom is a unit of matter made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, while a subatomic particle is a piece of matter smaller than an atom, such as an electron or proton. So particles are among the components that make up atoms.

A grammatical particle is a small word such as 'to' or 'up' that helps form a phrase but carries little meaning on its own. A preposition shows a relationship of place or time and takes an object ('in the box'), whereas a particle in a phrasal verb such as 'give up' is tied to the verb rather than to a following noun.

Frequent collocations include 'dust particle,' 'food particle,' 'charged particle,' and 'subatomic particle.' In science writing you also often see 'particles of' something, as in 'particles of dust' or 'particles of sand.'