particle

particle
particled, adj.
/pahr"ti keuhl/, n.
1. a minute portion, piece, fragment, or amount; a tiny or very small bit: a particle of dust; not a particle of supporting evidence.
2. Physics.
a. one of the extremely small constituents of matter, as an atom or nucleus.
b. an elementary particle, quark, or gluon.
c. a body in which the internal motion is negligible.
3. a clause or article, as of a document.
4. Gram.
a. (in some languages) one of the major form classes, or parts of speech, consisting of words that are neither nouns nor verbs, or of all uninflected words, or the like.
b. such a word.
c. a small word of functional or relational use, as an article, preposition, or conjunction, whether of a separate form class or not.
5. Rom. Cath. Ch. a small piece of the Host given to each lay communicant in a Eucharistic service.
[1350-1400; ME < L particula. See PART, -I-, -CLE1]
Syn. 1. mite, whit, iota, jot, tittle, grain, speck.

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(as used in expressions)
wave particle duality

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • particle — 1 Particle, bit, mite, smidgen, whit, atom, iota, jot, tittle all mean a very small or insignificant piece or part. Particle is used in reference not only to substances which are actually divisible but to such things as a quality, a state, or a… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Particle — may refer to:In chemistry: * Colloidal particle, part of a one phase system of two or more componentsIn physics: * Subatomic particle, which may be either: **Elementary particle, a particle of which larger particles are composed, also called a… …   Wikipedia

  • Particle — Par ti*cle, n. [L. particula, dim. of pars, gen partis, a part: cf. F. particule. See {Part}, and cf. {Parcel}.] 1. A minute part or portion of matter; a morsel; a little bit; an atom; a jot; as, a particle of sand, of wood, of dust. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • particle — [pärt′i kəl] n. [ME partycle < MFr particule < L particula, dim. of pars,PART1] 1. a) an extremely small piece; tiny fragment [a dust particle] b) the slightest trace; speck [not a particle of truth] 2 …   English World dictionary

  • particle — (n.) late 14c., small part or division of a whole, from L. particula little bit or part, dim. of pars (gen. partis); see PART (Cf. part) (n.). In construction, particle board (1957) is so called because it is made from chips and shavings of wood …   Etymology dictionary

  • particle — index constituent (part), element, iota, minimum, modicum, part (portion), scintilla …   Law dictionary

  • particle — [n] atom, piece bit, crumb, dot, dribble, drop, fleck, fragment, grain, hoot*, iota, jot, minim, mite, modicum, molecule, morsel, mote, ounce, ray, scrap, scruple, seed, shred, smidgen, smithereen, speck, spot, stitch, whit; concept 831 …   New thesaurus

  • particle — ► NOUN 1) a minute portion of matter. 2) Physics a component of the physical world smaller than an atom, e.g. an electron, proton, neutrino, or photon. 3) Grammar a minor function word that has comparatively little meaning and does not inflect, e …   English terms dictionary

  • particle — [[t]pɑ͟ː(r)tɪk(ə)l[/t]] particles 1) N COUNT: oft N of n A particle of something is a very small piece or amount of it. ...a particle of hot metal... There is a particle of truth in his statement. ...food particles. 2) N COUNT In physics, a… …   English dictionary

  • particle */*/ — UK [ˈpɑː(r)tɪk(ə)l] / US [ˈpɑrtɪk(ə)l] noun [countable] Word forms particle : singular particle plural particles 1) an extremely small piece or amount of something dust particles particle of: tiny particles of food There s not a particle of… …   English dictionary

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