p-a-r-t-i-c-l-e
PARTICLE A minute portion of matter; the smallest unit of a substance; a fundamental constituent of the universe. Worth 12 base points in word games.
12
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
Particles represent the fundamental building blocks of reality—from subatomic quarks to cosmic dust, these minute entities construct everything we perceive. The concept spans scales unimaginable: a single grain of sand contains more atoms than there are stars in the observable universe, yet each atom consists of particles so small that seeing them requires redefining what "seeing" means. This hierarchical nature of matter, particles within particles, reveals the universe's fractal-like structure.
In physics, particle theory revolutionized our understanding of reality. The Standard Model describes 17 fundamental particles: quarks, leptons, and bosons that combine to create all matter and forces. Quantum mechanics revealed particles' wave-particle duality—entities existing as probability clouds until observed. The discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 completed the Standard Model, explaining how particles acquire mass. Yet mysteries remain: dark matter particles, gravitons, and the reconciliation of quantum mechanics with relativity.
Beyond physics, particles shape our daily world. Air pollution particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers penetrate deep into lungs; nanoparticles enable targeted drug delivery; microplastics contaminate oceans; dust particles seed cloud formation. In language, grammatical particles—small words like "to," "up," "the"—carry crucial meaning despite their size. Computer graphics render millions of particles to simulate fire, smoke, and water. From cosmic rays to household dust, particles surround and compose us.
For word game strategists, PARTICLE delivers solid 8-letter potential. Common letters ensure reasonable drawing probability, while the -CLE ending creates hooking opportunities. The word builds naturally from PART, TIC, or ICE already played. As a bingo play, PARTICLE can score 60+ points including bonuses. Scientific vocabulary like PARTICLE, MOLECULE, and ELECTRON provides reliable high-scoring options for players who study technical terminology.
PARTICLE derives from Latin "particula," the diminutive of "pars" (part), literally meaning "little part." The word entered Middle English via Old French "particle" in the 14th century, initially referring to small portions of the Eucharist. Scientific usage emerged in the 1600s as microscopy revealed previously invisible matter. The grammatical sense appeared in the 1500s for indeclinable words. Modern physics appropriated the term for subatomic entities, though "particle" now paradoxically describes things that aren't particle-like at all, exhibiting wave properties in quantum mechanics.
•The Large Hadron Collider accelerates particles to 99.9999991% the speed of light
•A single particle of light (photon) can be in two places at once through quantum superposition
•Neutrino particles pass through your body at 100 trillion per second without interacting
"Every particle in your body has traveled through multiple stars over billions of years."
"The discovery of new particles often requires machines the size of cities to detect them."
Related 8-letter scientific terms with strong scoring potential:
Total base points: 12 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 3 (A, I, E) | Consonants: 5 (P, R, T, C, L)
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like PARTICLE