phrase-structure rule
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noun Linguistics.
a rule that generates a sentence or other syntactic construction from words and phrases and identifies its constituent structure.
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THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
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Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Compare rewrite rule.
Words nearby phrase-structure rule
phraseograph, phraseologist, phraseology, phrase structure, phrase-structure grammar, phrase-structure rule, phrase structure tree, phrasing, phratry, phreak, phreaking
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British Dictionary definitions for phrase-structure rule
phrase-structure rule
noun
generative grammar a rule of the form A → X where A is a syntactic category label, such as noun phrase or sentence, and X is a sequence of such labels and/or morphemes, expressing the fact that A can be replaced by X in generating the constituent structure of a sentenceAlso called: rewrite rule Compare transformational rule
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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