particle

noun

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par·ti·cle | \ ˈpär-ti-kəl

Definition of particle

1a : a minute quantity or fragment

b : a relatively small or the smallest discrete portion or amount of something

2 archaic : a clause or article of a composition or document

3 : any of the basic units of matter and energy (such as a molecule, atom, proton, electron, or photon)

4 : a unit of speech expressing some general aspect of meaning or some connective or limiting relation and including the articles, most prepositions and conjunctions, and some interjections and adverbs the particle up has a perfective meaning in phrases such as beat up and cut up

5 : a small eucharistic wafer distributed to a Roman Catholic layman at Communion

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Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing particle Learn More About particle

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Examples of particle in a Sentence

There is not a particle of evidence to support their claim. There is not a particle of truth in what he said. The phrasal verb “look up” consists of the verb “look” and the adverbial particle “up.”

Recent Examples on the Web The hero ingredient to target blackheads is the Volcanic Ash, a fine highly absorbent particle. — Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 May 2022 And Joe Harris, one of the team’s best shooters, had a bone particle removed from his left ankle in November. — New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 Even a single particle has its own, unique microstates. — Stav Dimitropoulos, Popular Mechanics, 22 Apr. 2022 There is no single definition for what a microplastic is, but researchers generally describe them as any particle of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size, but larger than 1 micrometer. — NBC News, 11 Apr. 2022 Researchers believe that may have been the result of a limonite particle being present in the stone at that location. — David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2022 Given the velocity of each particle in the fluid at some starting point, the Euler equations should predict the flow of the fluid for all time. — Quanta Magazine, 12 Apr. 2022 Say the motion of particles without having to do detailed calculations on the possible behavior of every single particle. — Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2022 Enlarge / Transmission electron micrograph of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle isolated from a patient sample and cultivated in cell culture. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 11 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'particle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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