noun
particle
PAH-tihkl
noun
1
A very small piece or amount of matter.
"Dust particles floated in the beam of sunlight."
2
In physics, a tiny piece of matter smaller than an atom, such as an electron or proton.
"The collider smashes particles together at nearly the speed of light."
3
In grammar, a small word, like "to" or "up," that helps form a phrase but has little meaning on its own.
""Up" in "give up" functions as a particle rather than a preposition."
How to Use Particle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tiny piece of something — of matter, or (in grammar) a small connecting word.
Common pairings
subatomic particle
dust particle
grammatical particle
Word Forms
particles plural
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Dust _____ floated in the beam of sunlight.
Etymology
From Latin particula, "small part," a diminutive of pars, "part."