Skip to main content
particulate

particulate

23 7.5
A tiny bit of matter in air or water that is often harmful
  • noun
  • /pɑrˈtɪkjʊlɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : partícula
  • Just the soot, that particulate matter coming from coal plants, kills more than 10,000 Americans every year.
  • particulate matter
  • particulate emissions
  • fine particulates

The more oxides and nitrogen that knocks, that causes ground level ozone and pollution, you emit more particulates.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Burning coal carries well-known risks: acid rain, particulate pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, to name the main ones.

    Academic text (2011)
  • From a health standpoint, the actual number of particulates produced and their size are more meaningful.

    Academic text (1993)
  • So you can feel the, what do you call it, the particulate matter in the air?

  • However, it simultaneously dumps tons of particulate into the air, water, and onto the land.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The character of the particulates above Mexico City relates directly to the local physical geography.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Oh, please tell me you had that tested for residual particulates.

  • Nitrogen compounds also react with other air pollutants to form toxic ozone and particulate matter.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Recent air quality studies, including from CARB California Air Quality Resource Board ... ... have named submicron-sized particulates being particularly harmful for human respiration.

  • Exhaust steam passes through a high-efficiency submicron-particulate air filter and an activated carbon filter that removes volatile organic compounds.

    Academic text (1995)
  • High levels of particulate matter in the air can lead to serious health problems.

Synonyms

particle
vsparticulate
  • Specialized
447 4.2

A very small piece or amount of something

is specifically a dispersed tiny mass often considered a pollutant
granule
vsparticulate
5 4.6

A very small piece like a grain, for example of sugar or sand

is smaller and often airborne or in liquid, viewed as pollutant

Antonyms

41 2.5

How big or heavy something is

Compounds

particulate matter
  • Specialized
4 5.1

Tiny solid or liquid pieces in the air that can harm health

particulate radiation
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A stream of very small bits of matter, like atoms, that carries energy and can pass through things

Surface Forms

particulate singular
particulates plural

Morphology

particulate = particle (transparent) = particle + ate

The adjective is a regular adjectival formation from 'particle' + '-ate', meaning 'made of or relating to particles', which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

The word particulate comes from the Latin particula, which means 'small part', and is related to familiar words like part and particle. So a particulate is a tiny bit of solid or liquid, often a pollutant, that can float in air or water.