article

article [ärt′i kəl]

n.

[ME & OFr < L articulus, dim. of artus, a joint: see ART¹]

1. one of the sections or items of a written document, as of a constitution, treaty, contract, etc.

2. [pl.] the parts of a formal declaration, or of a body of rules, beliefs, etc., considered as a whole

3. a complete piece of writing, as a report or essay, that is part of a newspaper, magazine, or book

4. a thing of a certain kind; separate item [an article of luggage]

5. a thing for sale; commodity

6. Gram. any one of the words a, an, or the (and their equivalents in other languages), used as adjectives: a and an are the indefinite articles and the is the definite article

vt.

articled, articling

1. Archaic to set forth (charges) in an indictment

2. to bind by the articles of an agreement or contract [an articled apprentice]