phrase
A short written or spoken expression.
Noun
- A short written or spoken expression.
- I've made progress, but this is still, in Churchill's phrase, just "the end of the beginning."
Hypernyms: syntagma
- A word or, more commonly, a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence, always containing an expressed or implied head (the principal word or subgroup, with core importance) and often consisting of a head plus some other elaborating words.
- Holonyms: clause, sentence; phrasing, phraseology, turn of phrase; phrase-book; document, message; language; communication
- Meronyms: head, complement, adjunct, supplement, modifier; term, word
- Congratulations on managing to use the phrase “preponderant criterion” in a chart (“On your marks”, November 9th). Was this the work of a kakorrhaphiophobic journalist set a challenge by his colleagues, or simply an...
Hypernyms: utterance
- A small section of music in a larger piece.
- A mode or form of speech; diction; expression.
- Thou speak'st / In better phrase and matter than thou didst. - c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […]...
- […] From out a common vein of memory / Sweet household talk, and phrases of the hearth, […] - 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part II”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 39:
- A short individual motion forming part of a choreographed dance.
Origin
Borrowed from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “to tell, express”).
Forms
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
noun phrase adjective phrase adverbial phrase prepositional phrase set phrase
Derived
activation phrase adjectival phrase adpositional phrase adverbial phrase antecedent phrase bombard phrase bombard-phrase buzz-phrase catch-all phrase catch phrase catch-phrase catchphrase coin a phrase conjunctional phrase consequent phrase counterphrase determiner phrase empty phrase filler phrase fixed phrase inflectional phrase interjectional phrase interphrase intonational phrase
Verb
- To express (an action, thought or idea) by means of particular words.
- I wasn't sure how to phrase my condolences without sounding patronising.
- These suns — for so they phrase 'em. - 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies...
- Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence. She devoured with more avidity than she had her food those...
- To perform (a passage) with a particular phrasing.
- To divide into melodic phrases.