particulate
Americanadjective
noun
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a separate and distinct particle.
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a material composed of such particles.
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particulates,
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the aggregate of such particles, especially as produced by one source.
tests to analyze diesel particulates.
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Meteorology. solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere, especially pollutants.
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noun
adjective
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of or made up of separate particles
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genetics of, relating to, or designating inheritance of characteristics, esp with emphasis on the role of genes
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A very small particle, as of dust or soot. Particulates that are given off by the burning of oil, gasoline, and other fuels can remain suspended in the atmosphere for long periods, where they are a major component of air pollution and smog.
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A substance or suspension composed of such particles, such as sand or smoke.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of particulate
1870–75; < New Latin particulātus, equivalent to Latin particul ( a ) particle + -ātus -ate 1
Vocabulary lists containing particulate
Earth Science - Middle School
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Earth Science - High School
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Human Impacts on Earth Systems - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its aim was to reduce the most harmful air pollutants - nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
“You’ve probably noticed that the air looks smoggy today—that’s the particulate matter,” Cohan, the Rice University professor, said via email that day.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Technologies such as catalytic converters and particulate filters can help reduce these emissions, but they also increase the cost and complexity of engines.
From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026
Since 2013, levels of PM2.5 -- small particulate that can enter the lungs and bloodstream -- have fallen 69.8 percent, Beijing municipality said in January.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
I test the particulate and the sediment is nothing more than sand, making it completely drinkable with the filtration straws.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
