The participles or confines between plants and living creatures.
Bacon.
Par"ti*cle (?), n. [L. particula, dim of pars, gen partis, a part: cf.
F. particule. See Part, and cf. Parcel.] 1. A minute part or portion of
matter; a morsel; a little bit; an atom; a jot; as, a particle of sand,
of wood, of dust.
The small size of atoms which unite To make the smallest particle
of light.
Blackmore.
2. Any very small portion or part; the smallest portion; as, he has not
a particle of patriotism or virtue.
The houses had not given their commissioners authority in the least
particle to recede.
Clarendon.
3. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A crumb or little piece of concecrated host. (b) The
smaller hosts distributed in the communion of the laity. Bp.
Fitzpatrick.
4. (Gram.) A subordinate word that is never inflected (a preposition,
conjunction, interjection); or a word that can not be used except in
compositions; as, ward in backward, ly in lovely.
Par"ti*col`ored, a. Same as Party-colored.
Par*tic"u*lar (?), a. [OE. particuler, F. particulier, L. particularis.
See Particle.] 1. Relating to a part or portion of anything; concerning
a part separated from the whole or from others of the class; separate;
sole; single; individual; specific; as, the particular stars of a
constellation. Shak.
[/Make] each particular hair to stand an end, Like quills upon the
fretful porpentine.
Shak.
Seken in every halk and every herne Particular sciences for to
lerne.
Chaucer.
2. Of or pertaining to a single person, class, or thing; belonging to
one only; not general; not common; hence, personal; peculiar; singular.
"Thine own particular wrongs." Shak.
Wheresoever one plant draweth such a particular juice out of the
earth.
Bacon.
3. Separate or distinct by reason of superiority; distinguished;
important; noteworthy; unusual; special; as, he brought no particular
news; she was the particular belle of the party.
4. Concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; circumstantial;
precise; as, a full and particular account of an accident; hence, nice;
fastidious; as, a man particular in his dress.
5. (Law) (a) Containing a part only; limited; as, a particular estate,
or one precedent to an estate in remainder. (b) Holding a particular
estate; as, a particular tenant. Blackstone.
6. (Logic) Forming a part of a genus; relatively limited in extension;
affirmed or denied of a part of a subject; as, a particular
proposition; -- opposed to universal: e. g. (particular affirmative)
Some men are wise; (particular negative) Some men are not wise.
Particular average. See under Average. -- Particular Baptist, one of a
branch of the Baptist denomination the members of which hold the
doctrine of a particular or individual election and reprobation. --
Particular lien (Law), a lien, or a right to retain a thing, for some
charge or claim growing out of, or connected with, that particular
thing. -- Particular redemption, the doctrine that the purpose, act,
and provisions of redemption are restricted to a limited number of the
human race. See Calvinism.
Syn. -- Minute; individual; respective; appropriate; peculiar;
especial; exact; specific; precise; critical; circumstantial. See
Minute.
Par*tic"u*lar (?), n. 1. A separate or distinct member of a class, or
part of a whole; an individual fact, point, circumstance, detail, or
item, which may be considered separately; as, the particulars of a
story.
Particulars which it is not lawful for me to reveal.
Bacon.
It is the greatest interest of particulars to advance the good of
the community.
L'Estrange.
2. Special or personal peculiarity, trait, or character; individuality;
interest, etc. [Obs.]
For his particular I'll receive him gladly.
Shak.
If the particulars of each person be considered.
Milton.
Temporal blessings, whether such as concern the public . . . or
such as concern our particular.
Whole Duty of Man.
3. (Law) One of the details or items of grounds of claim; -- usually in
the pl.; also, a bill of particulars; a minute account; as, a
particular of premises.
The reader has a particular of the books wherein this law was
written.
Ayliffe.
Bill of particulars. See under Bill. - - In particular, specially;
peculiarly. "This, in particular, happens to the lungs." Blackmore. --
To go into particulars, to relate or describe in detail or minutely.
Par*tic"u*lar*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. particularisme.] 1. A minute
description; a detailed statement. [R.]