Adjacent Words

Verb definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VERB, n. [L. verbum, fero.]
1. In grammar, a part of speech that expresses action, motion, being, suffering, or a request or command to do or forbear any thing. The verb affirms, declares, asks or commands; as, I write; he runs; the river flows; they sleep; we see; they are deceived; depart; go; come; write; does he improve?
When the action expressed by a verb is exerted on an object, or terminates upon it, the act is considered as passing to that object, and the verb is called transitive; as, I read Livy. When the act expressed by the verb, terminates in the agent or subject, the verb is called intransitive; as, I run; I walk, I sleep.
When the agent and object change places, and the agent is considered as the instrument by which the object is affected, the verb is called passive; as, Goliath was slain by David.
2. A word.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the word class that serves as the predicate of a sentence
2: a content word that denotes an action, occurrence, or state of existence

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English verbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin verbum word, verb — more at word Date: 14th century a word that characteristically is the grammatical center of a predicate and expresses an act, occurrence, or mode of being, that in various languages is inflected for agreement with the subject, for tense, for voice, for mood, or for aspect, and that typically has rather full descriptive meaning and characterizing quality but is sometimes nearly devoid of these especially when used as an auxiliary or linking verb • verbless adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. Gram. a word used to indicate an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence (e.g. hear, become, happen). Etymology: ME f. OF verbe or L verbum word, verb

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Verb Verb, n. [F. verbe, L. verbum a word, verb. See Word.] 1. A word; a vocable. [Obs.] --South. 2. (Gram.) A word which affirms or predicates something of some person or thing; a part of speech expressing being, action, or the suffering of action. Note: A verb is a word whereby the chief action of the mind [the assertion or the denial of a proposition] finds expression. --Earle. Active verb, Auxiliary verb, Neuter verb, etc. See Active, Auxiliary, Neuter, etc.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(verbs) A verb is a word such as 'sing', 'feel', or 'die' which is used with a subject to say what someone or something does or what happens to them, or to give information about them. N-COUNT see also phrasal verb