particle

/ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l/noun
Middle School
1

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

2

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

3

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

A part of speech which cannot be inflected.

5

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.

Sound Patterns & Rhymes

Rhymes

Words that share the same ending sound pattern

Alliteration

Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)

Assonance

Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing

Consonance

Words sharing similar consonant sound patterns — adds texture and cohesion to writing