particulate

What it means

1. Composed of separate particles.First known use 1870

   particulate matter

   1 more example

   particulate air pollution

2. biologyPertaining to heritable characteristics which are attributable discretely to either one or another of an offspring's parents, rather than a blend of the two.

   The rudiments of particulate inheritance were dimly understood already by the breeders of cattle and apples, but nobody was being systematic.

   1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial, published 2004, page 41

In a sentence

particulate air pollution

Where it comes from

1. Classical Latinparticula“particle”
2. New Latinparticulātus“divided into small parts”
3. Englishparticulate

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.

First known use: 1870