particle

noun

par·​ti·​cle ˈpär-ti-kəl 

1

a

: 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

Synonyms

• ace
• bit
• crumb
• dab
• dram
• driblet
• glimmer
• hint
• lick
• little
• mite
• nip
• ounce
• peanuts
• ray
• scintilla
• scruple
• shade
• shadow
• shred
• skosh
• smack
• smell
• smidgen
• smidgeon
• smidgin
• smidge
• snap
• soupçon
• spark
• spatter
• speck
• splash
• spot
• sprinkling
• strain
• streak
• suspicion
• tad
• touch
• trace

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

These giant explosions from the sun send energy, light, and particles throughout the solar system. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024

Eclipses aren't known for shedding solar particles or moon dust that drifts down to coat us. —The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024

Boogers can be yellow, green, or brown because of the particles that get trapped. —Maggie O'Neill, Health, 7 Apr. 2024

Evaporative humidifiers have the advantage of using filters, which helps avoid the white particles that can settle when using an ultrasonic humidifier. —Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2024

Charged particles known as plasma create space weather that interacts with an upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere, called the ionosphere. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024

Dish soap helps break down grease and food particles, and warm water aids in lifting them off the microwave's surfaces. —Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024

But researchers never knew for sure how these microscopic particles enlarged into sand-sized particulates, or whether the atmospheric fragments would have even stayed intact as the dunes took shape. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024

The way a cloud forms or responds to human intervention will depend on a range of complex, shifting factors — from weather to how particles spread by humans interact with other aerosols already in the air. —Justine Calma, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin particula, from diminutive of part-, pars

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing particle

• W particle
• particle accelerator
• elementary particle
• fundamental particle
• particle physics
• psi particle
• J/psi particle
• beta particle
• alpha particle
• Z particle

Kids Definition

particle

noun

par·​ti·​cle ˈpärt-i-kəl 

1

: one of the very small parts of matter (as a molecule, atom, or electron)

2

: a very small quantity or piece

3

: the smallest possible portion

Medical Definition

particle

noun

par·​ti·​cle ˈpärt-i-kəl 

1

: one of the minute subdivisions of matter (as an atom or molecule)

also : elementary particle

2

: a minute quantity or fragment