Definition of "particle" in English

noun

1. A very small piece of matter, a fragment; especially, the smallest possible part of something.

2. (physics) Any of various physical objects making up the constituent parts of an atom; an elementary particle or subatomic particle.

3. (grammar) A part of speech that has no inherent lexical definition but must be associated with another word to impart meaning, often a grammatical category: for example, the English word to in a full infinitive phrase (to eat) or O in a vocative phrase (O Canada), or as a discourse marker (mmm).

4. (linguistics) A part of speech which cannot be inflected.

   • 322. The parts of speech which are neither declined nor conjugated, are called by the general name of particles. 323. They are adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.
   • The Parts of Speech are the Noun (Substantive and Adjective), the Pronoun, the Verb, and the Particles (Adverb, Preposition, and Conjunction)[.]

5. (Christianity) In the Roman Catholic church, a crumb of consecrated bread; also the smaller breads used in the communion of the laity.

6. A little bit.