participle
UK /pɑːˈtɪsɪpəl/ · US /ˈpɑɹtɪˌsɪpəl/ noun
Forms participles
- noun (grammar) A form of a verb that may function as an adjective, noun or adverb. English has two types of participles: the present participle and the past participle. In other languages, there are others, such as future, perfect, and future perfect participles.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English participle, from Old French participle (1388), variant of participe, from Latin participium.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A part of speech partaking of the nature 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.
- noun Anything that partakes of the nature of different things. [Obs.]
Etymology [F. participe, L. participium, fr. particeps sharing, participant; pars, gen. partis, a part + capere to take. See Participate.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “participle”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details