phrase
pronunciation
How to pronounce phrase in British English:
UK [freɪz]
How to pronounce phrase in American English:
US [freɪz]
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- Noun:
- an expression forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence but not containing a finite verb
- a short musical passage
- an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up
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- Verb:
- put into words or an expression
Word Origin
- phrase
- phrase: [16] Greek phrásis ‘speech, way of speaking’ was a derivative of the verb phrázein ‘show, explain’. English adopted it via Latin phrasis as phrasis, whose plural phrases eventually gave rise to a new singular phrase. From the same source comes periphrasis [16].=> periphrasis
- phrase (n.)
- 1520s, "manner or style of expression," also "group of words with some unity," from Late Latin phrasis "diction," from Greek phrasis "speech, way of speaking, enunciation, phraseology," from phrazein "to express, tell," from phrazesthai "to consider," from PIE *gwhren- "to think" (see frenetic). The musical sense of "short passage" is from 1789.
- phrase (v.)
- "to put into a phrase," 1560s; see phrase (n.). Related: Phrased; phrasing.
Example
- 1. This bland phrase amounts to a revolution .
- 2. And many systems limit the length of passwords , making a long phrase impractical .
- 3. The phrase ipad killer has been misused , until now .
- 4. " Decisive action " is the government 's standard phrase for moves including intervention .
- 5. The actual , historical family they invented the phrase about .