Gerund

Pronunciation

• enPR: jÄ›r'-É™nd, IPA: /ˈdÊ’É›rÉ™nd/
• Rhymes: -É›rÉ™nd

Origin

From Latin gerundium, from gerundus ("which is to be carried out"), future passive participle (gerundive) of gerō ("carry, bear").

Full definition of gerund

Noun

1. (grammar) A verbal form that functions as a verbal noun. (In English, a gerund has the same spelling as a present participle, but functions differently.)In the phrase ‘Walking is good exercise.’, walking is a gerund.
2. (grammar) In some languages such as Italian or Russian, a verbal form similar to a present participle, but functioning as an adverb. These words are sometimes referred to as conjunctive participles.In the Russian 'Нельзя переходить улицу, читая газету.’ (One shouldn’t cross a street while reading a newspaper.), читая ‘while reading’ is a gerund.

Derived terms

• gerundive
• gerundial

Anagrams

• gurned