Word
particle
Phoneticspar·ti·cle, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɑɹtəkəɫ/
UK/pˈɑːtɪkəl/
Definitions
01a tiny piece
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a very small piece of something, such as dust, dirt, or sand.
n. a minute fragment or quantity of matter.
“A tiny particle of dust got into my eye and made it water.”
“The air filtration system was designed to capture even the smallest particles of soot produced by the nearby factory.”
02physics
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Science Technical
n. one of the tiny parts that make up an atom, like an electron.
n. any of the subatomic constituents of matter or energy, such as protons, neutrons, or photons.
“Scientists use huge machines to study how particles move and crash into each other.”
“The experiment aimed to observe the decay of the Higgs boson, a fundamental particle that explains why other particles have mass.”
Synonyms
03grammar
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Science Technical
n. a small word that does not change its form and helps other words, like 'to' in 'to go' or 'up' in 'look up'.
n. a function word that does not belong to a major inflected grammatical class and lacks a distinct lexical meaning of its own.
“In the phrasal verb 'give up', the word 'up' is a particle.”
“The teacher explained that the infinitive particle 'to' is grammatically distinct from the preposition 'to' used for direction.”
Usage
In English, this term often refers to the 'to' in infinitives or the adverbial elements of phrasal verbs.
Synonyms
04a small amount
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Literary · Formal
n. a very small amount of a quality or feeling.
n. the smallest possible amount or trace of an abstract quality.
“There was not a particle of truth in the rumors about the scandal.”
“He spoke with such absolute conviction that not a single particle of doubt remained in the minds of the jury.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “particle” in context.
Real-World Examples
“Thomas Bergauer/Flickr , CC BY-NC-ND Every second, particles zip through your body at nearly the speed of light.” “Smoke can appear white because its sub-micrometer particles scatter light extremely effectively.” “As these tiny particles enter Earth's atmosphere at high speed, they heat up and produce the streaks of light we see as meteors.” “Previous studies had already shown that plastic particles are transported through the atmosphere.” Etymology
From Middle French particule, and its source, Latin particula (“small part, particle”), diminutive of pars (“part, piece”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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