gerund

[ jer-uh nd ]
/ ˈdʒɛr ənd /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR gerund ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Grammar.

(in certain languages, as Latin) a form regularly derived from a verb and functioning as a noun, having in Latin all case forms but the nominative, as Latin dicendī gen., dicendō, dat., abl., etc., “saying.”See also gerundive(def 1).
the English -ing form of a verb when functioning as a noun, as writing in Writing is easy.
a form similar to the Latin gerund in meaning or function.

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compact
joined or packed together; closely and firmly united; dense; solid.
ready or inclined to fight.
not participating actively.
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Origin of gerund

1505–15; < Late Latin gerundium, Latin gerundum that which is to be carried on, equivalent to ger(ere) to bear, carry on + -undum, variant of -endum, gerund suffix

usage note for gerund

See me.

OTHER WORDS FROM gerund

ge·run·di·al [juh-ruhn-dee-uh l] /dʒəˈrʌn di əl/, adjectivege·run·di·al·ly, adverbnon·ge·run·di·al, adjective

Words nearby gerund

gershom, gershwin, gershwin, george, gert, gertrude, gerund, gerundive, gervais, geryon, gerzean, gesamtkunstwerk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Content related to gerund

What Are Gerunds?Wondering about gerunds is normal. Looking for clarification on how to use them is the smart thing to do. Good thing we enjoy writing about gerunds for you.
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Words related to gerund

deponent, infinitive, participle

Example sentences from the Web for gerund

British Dictionary definitions for gerund

gerund
/ (ˈdʒɛrənd) /

noun

a noun formed from a verb, denoting an action or state. In English, the gerund, like the present participle, is formed in -ingthe living is easy

Derived forms of gerund

gerundial (dʒɪˈrʌndɪəl), adjective

Word Origin for gerund

C16: from Late Latin gerundium, from Latin gerundum something to be carried on, from gerere to wage
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for gerund

gerund
[ (jer-uhnd) ]

A form of a verb that ends in -ing and operates as a noun in a sentence: “Thinking can be painful.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.