phrasal verb

American  

noun

Grammar.

1. a combination of verb and one or more adverbial or prepositional particles, as catch on, take off, bring up, or put up with, functioning as a single semantic unit and often having an idiomatic meaning that could not be predicted from the meanings of the individual parts.

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phrasal verb British  

noun

1. (in English grammar) a phrase that consists of a verb plus an adverbial or prepositional particle, esp one the meaning of which cannot be deduced by analysis of the meaning of the constituents

   ``take in'' meaning ``deceive'' is a phrasal verb

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Etymology

Origin of phrasal verb

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The phrasal verb steadily shines as a dismissal, a damnation, and a barked call to attention—an essential caustic shade in the brilliant blue streaks of the dialogue.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 14, 2019

“Look down on” in “He looked down on lexicography as a career” is a phrasal verb.

From Slate • Mar. 14, 2017

I created a new pile for the phrasal verb “take about,” and then my sprachgefühl found its voice: “That’s not a phrasal verb.”

From Slate • Mar. 14, 2017