Definition of particle noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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.
see also alpha particle, beta particle, elementary particle, subatomic particleTopics Physics and chemistryc1

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(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.
see also adverbial particleTopics Languageb2

Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin particula ‘little part’, diminutive of pars, part-.

See particle in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee particle in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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