particulate

particulate · adjective, noun, verb¹

1. Classical Latin · derived fromparticula“particle”
2. New Latin · borrowed fromparticulātus“divided into small parts”
3. English todayparticulate

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.

particulate · verb²

1. Latin · borrowed fromparticulāt-
2. English todayparticulate

From Latin particulāt-, past participial stem (compare the verbal suffix -ate) of particulō (“to particularize”), from particula (“particle”) + -ō (verbal suffix).

First known use, by meaning

• from 1870 Composed of separate particles.
• from 1949 Any solid or liquid in a subdivided state, especially one that exhibits special characteristics which are negligible in the bulk material.
• from 1918 To reduce to particles, make particulate.
• 1579–1656 Synonym of particularize.