particle
noun /ˈpɑːtɪkl/
/ˈpɑːrtɪkl/
- a very small piece of something
- particles of dust/gold
- dust/gold particles
- There was not a particle of evidence (= no evidence at all) to support the case.
- (grammar) an adverb or a preposition that can combine with a verb to make a phrasal verb
- In ‘She tore up the letter’, the word ‘up’ is a particle.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin particula ‘little part’, diminutive of pars, part-.