SET PHRASE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does set phrase mean? 

• SET PHRASE (noun)
  The noun SET PHRASE has 1 sense:

1. an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up

  Familiarity information: SET PHRASE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SET PHRASE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

idiom; idiomatic expression; phrasal idiom; phrase; set phrase

Hypernyms ("set phrase" is a kind of...):

expression; locution; saying (a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations)

Domain member usage:

out of whack (out of balance or out of adjustment)

in the lurch (in a difficult or vulnerable position)

like clockwork (with regularity and precision)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "set phrase"):

ruralism; rusticism (a rural idiom or expression)