nanoparticle

noun

nano·​par·​ti·​cle ˈna-nə-ˌpär-ti-kəl 

ˈna-nō-

: a microscopic particle whose size is measured in nanometers

Did you know?

Nanoparticles of a material usually have very different qualities from those that the material has at its ordinary scale, which is one reason why there's such excitement about the possibilities for how they might be used in future technologies. Many uses have already been developed. Aluminum nanoparticles added to rocket fuel can make the fuel burn twice as fast and release much more energy. Silicon nanoparticles are increasing the energy efficiency of solar cells by allowing the energy from ultraviolet light to be captured for the first time. Other nanoparticles are now helping prevent rust in metals, produce stronger batteries, enhance the diagnosis of cancer, and improve the filtering of water, and the number of other applications is growing fast.

Examples of nanoparticle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2020, scientists found that combining snail slime from a common garden snail with gold nanoparticles helped accelerate wound healing and exhibited anti-inflammatory properties in mice. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026

These nanoparticles are then quickly flushed out of the body. — New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2026

These mRNA-lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, are tiny spheres about 100 nanometers in diameter that protect mRNA from degradation and facilitate its delivery into target cells. — Li Li, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026

The editor that corrected his DNA reached his liver as messenger RNA inside a lipid nanoparticle, the same chemistry this administration defunded. — Jeff Coller, STAT, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nanoparticle

• article
• particle
• interparticle
• quasiparticle

Medical Definition

nanoparticle

noun

nano·​par·​ti·​cle -ˌpärt-i-kəl 

: a microscopic particle whose size is measured in nanometers

drugs bound to biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles