phrase
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology
From Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “I tell, express”).
Pronunciation
Noun
phrase (plural phrases)
| Examples (grammar) |
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noun phrase: the big bird (head: bird) |
- A short written or spoken expression.
- Hypernym: syntagma
- (grammar) A word or, more commonly, a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence, usually consisting of a head, or central word, and elaborating words.
- 2013 November 30, Paul Davis, “Letters: Say it as simply as possible”, in The Economist, volume 409, number 8864:
- 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 example of glossolalia?
- (music) A small section of music in a larger piece.
- (archaic) A mode or form of speech; diction; expression.
- c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]:
- Thou speak'st / In better phrase and matter than thou didst.
- 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part II”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 39:
- […] From out a common vein of memory / Sweet household talk, and phrases of the hearth, […]
- (dance) A short individual motion forming part of a choreographed dance.
Synonyms
- (expression): figure of speech, locution
- See also Thesaurus:phrase
Derived terms
- adjectival phrase
- adjective phrase
- adpositional phrase
- adverbial phrase
- adverb phrase
- antecedent phrase
- bombard phrase
- bombard-phrase
- buzz-phrase
- catch phrase
- catchphrase
- catch-phrase
- coin a phrase
- conjunctional phrase
- consequent phrase
- determiner phrase
- empty phrase
- filler phrase
- fixed phrase
- inflectional phrase
- interjectional phrase
- noun phrase
- participial phrase
- parting phrase
- phrasal
- phrase-book
- phrase book
- phrasemaker
- phrase name
- phraseology
- phrase structure
- prepositional phrase
- pronominal phrase
- seed phrase
- set phrase
- signal phrase
- signature phrase
- statistically improbable phrase
- stock phrase
- stop-phrase
- term phrase
- turn a phrase
- turn of phrase
- verb phrase
Translations
short written or spoken expression
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grammar: group of two or more words that express an idea but do not form a complete sentence
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music: small section of music in a larger piece
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also
Verb
phrase (third-person singular simple present phrases, present participle phrasing, simple past and past participle phrased)
- (transitive) To express (an action, thought or idea) by means of particular words.
- I wasn't sure how to phrase my condolences without sounding patronising.
- 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 […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
- These suns — for so they phrase 'em.
- 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter I (Anarchy), page 373, column 2:
- 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 pretentiously phrased chronicles of the snobocracy—[…]—distilling therefrom an acid envy that robbed her napoleon of all its flavor.
- (intransitive, music) To perform a passage with the correct phrasing.
- (transitive, music) To divide into melodic phrases.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
music: perform a passage with the correct phrasing
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express by means of words
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Further reading
- “phrase”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “phrase”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “phrase”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams
Etymology
From Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “to tell, express”).
Pronunciation
Noun
phrase f (plural phrases)
Usage notes
- This is a false friend to English phrase.
Derived terms
Further reading
- “phrase”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): /ˈpʰra.se/, [ˈpʰräs̠ɛ]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈfra.se/, [ˈfräːs̬e]
Noun
phrase
Noun
phrase f (plural phrases)
- Pre-reform spelling (until Brazil 1943/Portugal 1911) of frase.