What does "phrase" mean?
Phrase: A short, pithy expression; especially, one which is often employed; a peculiar or idiomatic turn of speech; as, to err is human.
Additional senses
- 2.A mode or form of speech; the manner or style in which any one expreses himself; diction; expression. "Phrases of the hearth." Tennyson. Thou speak'st In better phrase and matter than thou didst. Shak.
- 3.(Mus.) A short clause or portion of a period. Note: A composition consists first of sentences, or periods; these are subdivided into sections, and these into phrases. Phrase book, a book of idiomatic phrases. J. S. Blackie.
- 4.To express in words, or in peculiar words; to call; to style. "These suns -- for so they phrase 'em." Shak.
- 5.To use proper or fine phrases. [R.]
- 6.(Mus.) To group notes into phrases; as, he phrases well. See Phrase, n., 4.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00