particle

noun par·ti·cle \ˈpär-ti-kəl\

: a very small piece of something

: a very small amount of something

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

Full Definition of PARTICLE

a : a minute quantity or fragment

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

archaic : a clause or article of a composition or document

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

: 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>

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

See particle defined for English-language learners

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Origin of PARTICLE

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PARTICLE

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 (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket

Rhymes with PARTICLE

article

PARTICLE Defined for Kids

particle

noun par·ti·cle \ˈpär-ti-kəl\

Definition of PARTICLE for Kids

: a very small bit or amount of something <a particle of sand> <a particle of sense>

Word Root of PARTICLE

The Latin word pars, meaning “part,” and its form partis give us the root part. Words from the Latin pars have something to do with a part, section, or portion. To participate is to take part in some activity. Anything partial involves only part of something. A particle is a tiny bit or portion of something. It is easy to see that part itself also comes directly from pars in both form and meaning.

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