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particle

particle

447 4.2
A very small piece or amount of something
  • noun
  • /ˈpɑrtɪkəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : partícula
  • One idea is that these particles make up dark matter.
  • subatomic particle
  • particle physics
  • charged particle

But I could have a single particle inside a box.

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Examples

  • The origin of LDL particles is in the liver.

  • A camera captures the position of particles at the time of each flash.

    Academic text (2008)
  • But I could have a single particle inside a box.

  • We're asking how does the particle move in the field.

  • You can, for example, measure where a particle is, but not when it is.

  • The force on a charged particle is V cross B.

  • What this tells you is that even single particles act like waves.

  • Is light made up of particles or waves?

  • Visual scan reveals minute particles of matter adhering to the hull.

  • In physics, a particle is often considered to be a fundamental constituent of matter.

Synonyms

bit
vsparticle
1.0

A small piece or amount of something, for example food

is the technical or scientific sense for very small parts
speck
vsparticle
66 1.3

A very small spot or amount of something

is the general term for small physical parts in science
grain
vsparticle
20 3.7

A very small amount used to talk about qualities or feelings

focuses on literal tiny physical parts rather than figurative use
atom
vsparticle
14 2.8

A very small amount of something, almost none

is the broader everyday word for very small parts
molecule
vsparticle
11 3.1

A very small amount of something that shows there is almost none

is the broader scientific term for very small parts
mote
vsparticle
  • Literature
4 8.2

A very small speck of dust or dirt

is the broad scientific word for any very small part
corpuscle
vsparticle
  • Archaic
1 9.4

A very small piece of a substance like a speck of dust

is a more general name for any very small part
mota
vsparticle
  • US
9.9

A tiny speck of dust or dirt

is the wider scientific label for very small parts
atomy
vsparticle
  • Archaic
9.9

A very small part of matter like a tiny particle

is the modern common word for very small parts

Antonyms

484 1.0

All of something seen as one unit

259 2.9

A large amount of material that has no clear shape

Compounds

subatomic particle
  • Specialized
12 5.1

A very small part of matter smaller than an atom, like a proton or electron

particle accelerator
  • Specialized
11 5.5

A machine that makes tiny charged particles move faster for science or medicine

particle physics
  • Specialized
8 4.5

The science that studies very small parts of matter and how they interact

particle beam
  • Specialized
7 6.8

A narrow, focused stream of tiny particles like electrons used in science and medicine

elementary particle
  • Specialized
3 6.5

A very small part of matter that you cannot break into smaller pieces, like an electron or quark

alpha particle
  • Specialized
2 5.8

A small positively charged part of an atom with two protons and two neutrons released in radioactive decay

A board made from small wood pieces glued and pressed for furniture and building

beta particle
  • Specialized
1 6.4

A fast, tiny particle like an electron that a radioactive atom gives off

fundamental particle
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A very small part of matter not made of smaller parts like an electron or quark

particle detector
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A machine that finds and shows very small particles inside atoms in physics experiments

wave-particle duality
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A physics idea that light and matter act like waves and particles when you look at them

lambda particle
  • Specialized
9.9

A neutral particle made of three quarks that appears in particle physics

heavy particle
  • Specialized
8.4

A tiny piece of matter as heavy as or heavier than a proton that feels the strong force

9.9

A very small particle added to a product to show where it came from

J particle
  • Specialized
9.9

A heavy neutral particle made of a charm quark and its antiparticle

K particle
  • Specialized
9.9

A tiny particle smaller than an atom that breaks into other particles after high-energy collisions

psi particle
  • Specialized
9.9

A heavy neutral meson made of a quark and an antiquark seen in physics experiments

tau-minus particle
  • Specialized
9.9

A heavy, short-lived tiny part of matter like an electron but much heavier

tau-plus particle
  • Specialized
9.9

A tiny particle with a positive charge like an electron but much heavier

5.1

Very small bits of dirty matter in the air that come from smoke and engines and can harm people's health

strange particle
  • Specialized
9.9

A very small particle that forms in fast collisions and decays more slowly

A heavy particle that hardly interacts with normal matter and may make up dark matter in space

How Small

atom
14 2.8
speck
66 1.3
particle
  • Specialized
447 4.2
fragment
184 3.2
piece
1.0

Surface Forms

particle singular
particles plural

Morphology

particle = part (transparent) = part + icle

The basic meaning 'a very small part' is directly derived from 'part' plus the diminutive suffix '-icle', so learners can infer the sense of a tiny piece.

Etymology

Particle comes from the Latin particula, a little form of part, which means 'small part'. So a particle is literally a tiny 'part' or piece of something, which fits the meaning of a very small amount.