Participle

Participle
Participle Par"ti*ci*ple, n. [F. participe, L. participium, fr. particeps sharing, participant; pars, gen. partis, a part + capere to take. See {Participate}.] 1. (Gram.) A part of speech partaking of the nature of both verb and adjective; a form of a verb, or verbal adjective, modifying a noun, but taking the adjuncts of the verb from which it is derived. In the sentences: a letter is written; being asleep he did not hear; exhausted by toil he will sleep soundly, -- written, being, and exhaustedare participles. [1913 Webster]

By a participle, [I understand] a verb in an adjectival aspect. --Earle. [1913 Webster]

Note: Present participles, called also imperfect, or incomplete, participles, end in -ing. Past participles, called also perfect, or complete, participles, for the most part end in -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n. A participle when used merely as an attribute of a noun, without reference to time, is called an adjective, or a participial adjective; as, a written constitution; a rolling stone; the exhausted army. The verbal noun in -ing has the form of the present participle. See {Verbal noun}, under {Verbal}, a. [1913 Webster]

2. Anything that partakes of the nature of different things. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

The participles or confines between plants and living creatures. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • participle — [pärt′i sip΄əl] n. [OFr < L participium < particeps, participating, partaking < participare,PARTICIPATE: from participating in the nature of both v. & adj.] Gram. a verbal form having some characteristics and functions of both verb and… …   English World dictionary

  • participle — (n.) late 14c., a noun adjective, from O.Fr. participle, variant of participe, from L. participium, lit. a sharing, partaking, from particeps partaker (see PARTICIPATION (Cf. participation)). In grammatical sense, the Latin translates Gk. metokhe …   Etymology dictionary

  • participle — ► NOUN Grammar ▪ a word formed from a verb (e.g. going, gone, being, been) and used as an adjective or noun (as in burnt toast, good breeding) or used to make compound verb forms (is going, has been). DERIVATIVES participial adjective. ORIGIN… …   English terms dictionary

  • Participle — In linguistics, a participle (from Latin participium , a calque of Greek μετοχη partaking ) is a derivative of a non finite verb, which can be used in compound tenses or voices, or as a modifier. Participles often share properties with other… …   Wikipedia

  • participle */ — UK [pɑː(r)ˈtɪsɪp(ə)l] / UK [ˈpɑː(r)tɪsɪp(ə)l] / US [ˈpɑrtɪsɪp(ə)l] noun [countable] Word forms participle : singular participle plural participles linguistics the form of a verb used in compound tenses and as an adjective. English uses the… …   English dictionary

  • participle — Synonyms and related words: adjectival, adjective, adverb, adverbial, adversative conjunction, attributive, conjunction, conjunctive adverb, coordinating conjunction, copulative, copulative conjunction, correlative conjunction, disjunctive,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • participle — [14] The etymological notion underlying participle is of a word that shares or ‘partakes’ of the dual nature of an adjective and a noun. It comes via Old French participle from Latin participium, a derivative of particeps ‘partaker’ (the usage… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • participle —  he participle is a verbal adjective. There are two kinds: present participles, which end in ing (walking, looking), and past participles, which end in d (heard), ed (learned), n (broken), or t (bent). The terms present participle and past… …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • participle — [[t]pɑ͟ː(r)tɪsɪp(ə)l[/t]] participles N COUNT In grammar, a participle is a form of a verb that can be used in compound tenses of the verb. There are two participles in English: the past participle, which usually ends in ed , and the present… …   English dictionary

  • participle — par•ti•ci•ple [[t]ˈpɑr təˌsɪp əl, sə pəl[/t]] n. gram. a nonfinite verbal form that can function as an adjective or be used with certain auxiliaries to make compound verb forms, as burning in a burning candle or devoted in your devoted friend.… …   From formal English to slang

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