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| par·ti·cle [ prtik'l ] (plural par·ti·cles) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. tiny piece: a very small piece of something
  airborne particles
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2. tiny amount: a very small amount of something
There wasn't a particle of truth in anything he said.
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3. physics object with finite mass: a minute body that is considered to have finite mass but negligible size
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4. physics basic unit of matter: any one of the basic units of matter, e.g. a molecule, atom, or electron
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5. physics subatomic unit: a unit of matter smaller than the atom or its main components
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6. grammar part of multiword verb: an adverb or preposition that occurs as part of a multiword verb, e.g. "up" in "blow up"
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7. christianity piece of consecrated bread or wafer: in the Roman Catholic Mass, a small piece of consecrated bread or wafer
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| [14th century. < Latin particula "small part" < part- "part"] |
