particulate
/pɑɹˈtɪk.jə.lət/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.04 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Pertaining to heritable characteristics which are attributable discretely to either one or another of an offspring's parents, rather than a blend of the two.
noun
Any solid or liquid in a subdivided state, especially one that exhibits special characteristics which are negligible in the bulk material.
Example Sentences
- "particulate air pollution"
- "particulate matter"
- "The rudiments of particulate inheritance were dimly understood already by the breeders of cattle and apples, but nobody was being systematic."
- "Particulates in engine oil can abrade moving parts."
- "Only after the explosion has particulated the poison and given it every opportunity to vaporize can any appreciable concentration of gas be present in the air."
- "The study proved that Sialon particulated smaller than 0.5 micron could be sintered without using any auxiliary additives."
Etymology
From New Latin particulātus (“divided into small parts”) (also particulāta (“small parts”), from its neuter plural), from Classical Latin particula (“particle”), from pars (“part, piece”) + -cula (diminutive suffix), + -ātus (-ate). The verb is probably independently from the adjective rather than from Etymology 2.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /pɑɹˈtɪk.jə.lət/
- British English: /pɑːˈtɪk.jʊ.lɪt/
Usage
Inflected Forms
more particulate (comparative)
most particulate (superlative)
particulates (plural)
particulates (present, singular)
particulating (participle, present)
particulated (participle, past)
particulated (past)