phrase
n. countablen. a small group of words that stand together to mean something. You use this to talk about a part of a sentence, or a common saying like 'piece of cake'.
n. a syntactic unit consisting of one or more words that function together as a single constituent within a clause. In general contexts, it frequently refers to a short, memorable expression or idiom.
'Break a leg' is a common phrase used in the theatre.
The teacher asked the students to underline the noun phrase in each sentence on the grammar worksheet.
Although the politician repeated the same carefully tested phrase in every interview, the public remained unconvinced by his sudden shift in policy.
From Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “to tell, express”).
Grammar contexts frequently pair it with a classifying noun, such as 'noun phrase' or 'verb phrase'.