- 1(grammar) a group of words without a finite verb, especially one that forms part of a sentence. “The green car” and “on Friday morning” are phrases. see noun phrase Thesaurusword
- term
- phrase
- expression
- idiom
- word a single unit of language that means something and can be spoken or written:Do not write more than 200 words. He uses a lot of long words.
- term (somewhat formal) a word or phrase used as the name of something, especially one connected with a particular type of language:technical/legal/scientific terms “Old man” is a slang term for “father.”
- phrase a group of words that have a particular meaning when used together:Who coined the phrase “desktop publishing” (= used it for the first time)? In grammar, a phrase is a group of words without a finite verb, especially one that forms part of a sentence: “the green car” and “on Friday morning” are phrases.
- expression a word or phrase:He tends to use lots of new expressions that I've never heard before.
- idiom a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words:“To let the cat out of the bag” is an idiom meaning to tell a secret by mistake.
- a(n) word/term/expression for something
- a new word/term/phrase/expression
- a technical/colloquial/slang word/term/phrase/expression
- an idiomatic phrase/expression
- to use a(n) word/term/phrase/expression/idiom
- to coin a(n) word/term/phrase/expression
- a(n) word/term/phrase/expression/idiom means something
- 2a group of that which have a particular meaning when used together a memorable phrase She was, in her own favorite phrase, “a woman without a past.” see catchphrase
- 3(music) a short series of notes that form a unit within a longer passage in a piece of music Idioms
- 1used to show that you are aware that you are using an expression that is not new Oh well, no news is good news, to coin a phrase.
- 2used to introduce a well-known expression that you have changed slightly in order to be funny Tasting is believing, to coin a phrase! (= the usual phrase is “seeing is believing”).
a particular way of describing something
Check pronunciation: phrase