Particles: meaning, definitions and examples

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particles

 

[ ˈpɑːtɪkl̩z ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in physics

A particle is a minute fragment or quantity of matter. In physics, it refers to a body whose mass is concentrated in a point in space, such as an electron or a proton.

Synonyms

atom, elementary particle, subatomic particle

Examples of usage

  • The behavior of particles at the quantum level is fascinating.
  • Particle physics is a branch of science that studies the smallest components of matter.
Context #2 | Noun

in grammar

In grammar, a particle is a function word that does not belong to any of the inflected forms of a verb. It can modify the meaning of the verb or add nuances to it.

Synonyms

function word, grammatical particle

Examples of usage

  • In English, particles like 'up' and 'out' are commonly used in phrasal verbs.
  • The use of particles can sometimes change the entire meaning of a sentence.

Translations

Translations of the word "particles" in other languages:

🇵🇹 partículas

🇮🇳 कण

🇩🇪 Teilchen

🇮🇩 partikel

🇺🇦 частинки

🇵🇱 cząstki

🇯🇵 粒子 (りゅうし)

🇫🇷 particules

🇪🇸 partículas

🇹🇷 parçacıklar

🇰🇷 입자 (입자)

🇸🇦 جسيمات

🇨🇿 částice

🇸🇰 častice

🇨🇳 粒子 (lìzǐ)

🇸🇮 delci

🇮🇸 agnir

🇰🇿 бөлшектер

🇬🇪 ნაწილაკები

🇦🇿 hissəciklər

🇲🇽 partículas

Etymology

The word 'particle' originated from the Latin word 'particula', meaning 'small part'. It has been used in various fields such as physics, chemistry, and grammar to describe small units of matter or linguistic elements. The concept of particles has been fundamental in understanding the structure of the universe and language.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #2,233, this word belongs to solid intermediate vocabulary. It's frequently used in both casual and formal contexts and is worth learning for better fluency.