Phrase \Phrase\, n. [F., fr. L. phrasis diction, phraseology,
   Gr. ?, fr. ? to speak.]
   1. A brief expression, sometimes a single word, but usually
      two or more words forming an expression by themselves, or
      being a portion of a sentence; as, an adverbial phrase.
      [1913 Webster]

            "Convey" the wise it call. "Steal!" foh! a fico for
            the phrase.                           --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A short, pithy expression; especially, one which is often
      employed; a peculiar or idiomatic turn of speech; as, to
      err is human.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A mode or form of speech; the manner or style in which any
      one expreses himself; diction; expression. "Phrases of the
      hearth." --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thou speak'st
            In better phrase and matter than thou didst. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Mus.) A short clause or portion of a period.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: A composition consists first of sentences, or periods;
         these are subdivided into sections, and these into
         phrases.
         [1913 Webster]

   Phrase book, a book of idiomatic phrases. --J. S. Blackie.
      [1913 Webster]

	

	Phrase \Phrase\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Phrased; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Phrasing.] [Cf. F. phraser.]
   To express in words, or in peculiar words; to call; to style.
   "These suns -- for so they phrase 'em." --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

	

	Phrase \Phrase\, v. i.
   1. To use proper or fine phrases. [R.]
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Mus.) To group notes into phrases; as, he phrases well.
      See Phrase, n., 4.
      [1913 Webster]

	

	phrase
     n 1: an expression forming a grammatical constituent of a
          sentence but not containing a finite verb
     2: a short musical passage [syn: musical phrase]
     3: an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the
        meanings of the words that make it up [syn: idiom, idiomatic
        expression, phrasal idiom, set phrase]
     v : put into words or an expression; "He formulated his concerns
         to the board of trustees" [syn: give voice, formulate,
          word, articulate]

	

	236 Moby Thesaurus words for "phrase":
   Parthian shot, adage, address, adjectival phrase, affirmation,
   allegation, ana, anacrusis, analects, answer, aphorism, apostrophe,
   apothegm, article, articulate, assertion, averment, axiom,
   back matter, bass passage, book, bourdon, breathe, bridge, burden,
   byword, cadence, catchword, chapter, chestnut, chime,
   choice of words, chorus, clause, cliche, coda, collected sayings,
   collocation, colloquialism, column, come out with, comment,
   commonplace, communicate, composition, conceive, convey, couch,
   couch in terms, crack, current saying, declaration, delineate,
   deliver, describe, development, dialect, dictate, diction, dictum,
   disclose, distich, division, embody in words, emit, enunciate,
   epigram, exclamation, exposition, express, expression, fascicle,
   figure, fling off, folderol, folio, formularize, formulate,
   formulation, frame, front matter, gathering, give, give expression,
   give expression to, give out with, give tongue, give utterance,
   give voice, give words to, glosseme, gnome, golden saying, grammar,
   greeting, harmonic close, icon, idiom, impart, installment,
   interjection, interlude, intermezzo, introductory phrase, language,
   leitmotiv, let out, lexeme, lexical form, lip, livraison, locution,
   manner of speaking, maxim, measure, mention, moral, morpheme, mot,
   motif, motive, motto, movement, musical phrase, musical sentence,
   note, noun phrase, number, observation, oracle, ornament, out with,
   page, paragraph, parlance, part, passage, period, phonate,
   phraseology, phrasing, pithy saying, platitude, position,
   pour forth, precept, prescript, present, pronounce, pronouncement,
   proverb, proverbial saying, proverbs, put, put forth, put in words,
   question, raise, reflection, refrain, remark, resolution, response,
   rhetoric, rhetorize, ritornello, saw, say, saying, section,
   semasiological unit, sememe, sentence, sententious expression,
   serial, set forth, set out, sheet, sign, signature, signifiant,
   significant, slogan, sloka, sound, speech, stanza, state,
   statement, stock saying, strain, style, subject, subjoinder, sutra,
   symbol, syntax, tailpiece, talk, teaching, tell, term, text, theme,
   thought, throw off, token, tutti, tutti passage, type, usage,
   use of words, usus loquendi, utter, utterance, variation,
   verb phrase, verbalize, verbiage, verse, vocabulary, vocalize,
   voice, volume, way of speaking, whisper, wisdom, wisdom literature,
   wise saying, witticism, word, word-group, wordage, wording,
   words of wisdom, write