particle
gb/pˈɑɹtɪkəl/ us/pˈɑɹtɪkəl/
B2
Engleză
~ 7100
Sensuri
0 sensuri
Substantiv
B2
entity
1
very small piece of material
A very small piece of a substance, like dust or dirt.
Tipar de utilizare:
a particle of [substance]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes think "particle" is only a physics word. In everyday English, it is also common for very small bits of dust, dirt, or food. Also, learners may confuse "particle" with the similar-sounding word "article," which has a completely different meaning.
Sinonime
speck (Often suggests something extremely small and usually seen as a tiny mark.)
|
grain (Suggests a small, hard piece, especially of sand, salt, or cereal.)
|
bit (A very general word for a small piece; less precise and less scientific than "particle.")
Antonime
mass (Refers to a large, continuous body of matter rather than many tiny separate pieces.)
Colocații
dust particles
|food particles
|airborne particles
|fine particles
|tiny particles
|smoke particles
Teme
science
|nature
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- Sunlight streamed through the window, catching the dust particles in the air.
- Rinse the dishes well to remove any food particles.
- The filter is designed to trap tiny particles in the water supply.
- Scientists measured the concentration of fine particles in the city’s air.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- I could see small dust particles in the light.
- Brush your teeth to clean food particles from your mouth.
- The mask stops tiny particles from entering your nose.
- The water looked dirty because of many small particles.
Substantiv
technical
C1
entity
2
extremely small unit of matter
In physics, a very, very small piece of matter or energy, like an electron or proton.
Tipar de utilizare:
a subatomic particle called [name]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes mix this meaning with the everyday sense of a small piece of dust or dirt. In physics, "particle" usually means a subatomic or fundamental unit like an electron, not just any small bit of material.
Sinonime
subatomic unit (A descriptive technical phrase that highlights the scale, often used in explanations rather than in strict scientific naming.)
|
quantum (In physics, can refer to a discrete quantity or unit, but is more specialized and does not cover all types of particles.)
Antonime
macroscopic object (Refers to an object large enough to be seen directly, in contrast to tiny particles that usually require instruments to detect.)
Colocații
subatomic particle
|elementary particle
|fundamental particles
|particle physics
|particle accelerator
|high-energy particles
Teme
physics
|science
|technology
Exemple
- Electrons are negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom.
- The experiment detected a new subatomic particle that had never been observed before.
- Particle physics seeks to understand the fundamental particles and forces that make up the universe.
- A particle accelerator speeds up charged particles and smashes them together for study.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- An atom is made of very small particles.
- Electrons are tiny particles with a negative charge.
- Scientists study particles to learn how the universe works.
- A particle accelerator makes particles move very, very fast.
Substantiv
technical
C1
entity
3
small grammatical function word
In grammar, a small word like "not" or "up" that helps show grammar or meaning in a phrase, but does not have a clear meaning by itself.
Tipar de utilizare:
the particle [word]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners often confuse particles with prepositions because some words, like "up" or "off," can be both. In phrasal verbs, these words are usually called particles, not prepositions, because they form a single unit of meaning with the verb.
Sinonime
function word (A broader linguistic term that includes particles but also other items such as prepositions and conjunctions.)
|
marker (Often used in linguistics for a word or morpheme that indicates a grammatical category, similar to many particles.)
Antonime
content word (Refers to words like nouns, main verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that carry clear lexical meaning, not just grammatical function.)
Colocații
grammatical particle
|phrasal verb particle
|negative particle
|aspect particle
|the particle "to"
Teme
language
|grammar
|education
|communication
Exemple
- In the phrasal verb "turn off," the word "off" is a particle.
- Some languages use a question particle at the end of a sentence.
- The word "to" in "to go" is often described as the infinitive particle.
- In this construction, the negative particle comes before the verb.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- In English, "up" in "pick up" is a particle.
- The word "not" is a common negative particle.
- "To" in "to read" is called the infinitive particle.
- Some languages have a special particle to show a question.
Substantiv
C1
quantity
4
very small, almost zero amount
A very, very small amount of something, often used to say there is almost none.
Tipar de utilizare:
a particle of [abstract noun]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may think this always refers to physical bits, but in this sense it describes an amount of something abstract, like evidence, truth, or doubt. It is especially common in negative phrases like "not a particle of."
Sinonime
trace (A very small sign or amount of something, often used in similar negative or careful statements.)
|
shred (Often used with abstract nouns like "evidence" or "doubt" to mean a very small amount.)
|
hint (A small amount or sign, especially of a feeling or quality, but less emphatic than "particle.")
Antonime
abundance (Means a very large amount of something, the opposite of a tiny or almost zero amount.)
Colocații
not a particle of
|a particle of truth
|without a particle of
|the least particle of
Teme
evaluation
|emotion
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- There was not a particle of evidence to support the claim.
- She listened without a particle of interest.
- His story may contain a particle of truth, but most of it is clearly exaggerated.
- They acted without a particle of fear, even in such danger.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The police found not a particle of proof.
- I do not feel a particle of doubt about my choice.
- There is a particle of truth in what he says.
- She spoke without a particle of anger in her voice.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
particle
IPA
GB/pˈɑɹtɪkəl/
US/pˈɑɹtɪkəl/
Silabe și accent
particle (1 silabă)
Stress on 1st syllable (particle)
Forme ale cuvântului
Noun
- Base: particle
- Plural: particles
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
particles
noun
Core family
particulate
adjective
Related words
Advanced or less common
antiparticle
noun
Expresii
a particle of truth
1/ə pˈɑɹtɪkəl əv tɹˈuθ/
fixed phrase
a small part that is true
Used to say that a statement or story is mostly wrong, but has a very small part that is true.
Exemple
- Her story may have a particle of truth, but it is largely invented.
- There is a particle of truth in the criticism, even if it is unfair overall.
- The film is fiction, though it contains a particle of truth about life in that period.
not a particle of
1/nˈɑt ə pˈɑɹtɪkəl əv/
fixed phrase
not even a tiny bit
Used to say there is no amount of something at all, not even a very small amount.
Exemple
- There is not a particle of truth in that rumor.
- He showed not a particle of interest in the proposal.
- They acted without a particle of hesitation.