1. Physics:
* A small, localized object that possesses mass and volume. This is the most common meaning in physics. It refers to fundamental building blocks of matter, like atoms, electrons, and quarks. It can also refer to other small objects, like dust particles or grains of sand.
2. Grammar:
* A word that has a grammatical function but little or no independent meaning. These are often small words that change the meaning or grammatical function of a word or phrase. Examples include "to," "of," "for," and "in."
3. General:
* A tiny piece or speck of something. This is a more general meaning that can be applied to any small object, like a particle of dust or a particle of food.
Here are some examples of how "particle" is used in each sense:
* Physics: "The Standard Model of particle physics describes the fundamental particles that make up the universe."
* Grammar: "The particle "to" is used before the infinitive verb."
* General: "A tiny particle of dust floated in the air."
To understand the specific meaning of "particle" in a given context, pay attention to the surrounding words and the overall meaning of the sentence.