Participle (noun)

A form of a verb that is used in some grammatical structures to indicate the time or completion of an action, often used in conjunction with an auxiliary verb to form tenses, moods, and voices.

Origin:

Late middle english: from old french participe or latin participium, from particeps "sharing, participating" (see participate).

Examples:

1. The present participle of the verb "to swim" is "swimming".
2. The past participle of the verb "to eat" is "eaten".
3. The participle "having" is used in the sentence "Having finished the homework, I watched TV.".
4. The participle "been" is used in the sentence "I have been to New York City.".
5. The participle phrase "running late" modifies the subject "I" in the sentence "I am running late.