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DictionaryclauseGrammatical unit
noun

clause

KLAWZ/klɔːz/

A grammatical unit containing a subject and a predicate.

The clause Birds sing contains a subject and a predicate.

A clean grammar card shows only essential short clause “Birds sing.” with a small drawing of two birds, no definition, heading or explanatory text.
Etymology
clauseLatinto close, conclude

The root meaning “close” also meant “conclude,” giving a noun for a conclusion or sentence ending. That developed into a term for a written passage and then a grammatical unit within a sentence.

In context

Arnel's Everyday English1:06
Each relative clause has a subject and a verb.
RELATIVE PRONOUNS | RELATIVE CLAUSES | ADJECTIVE CLAUSES - who, which, that, whose, whom

More examples

  • The sentence joins two clauses.
  • She identified the dependent clause.
  • Each clause contributes a separate grammatical unit.

Forms

clause · clauses

Similar words

sentence
A sentence may contain several clauses.
phrase
A phrase lacks the full subject-predicate structure of a clause.