participle
participle Lexical Profile
participle Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A non-finite form of a verb that is used in compound tenses or voices, or as a modifier functioning like an adjective or adverb (such as 'working' or 'worked' in English).
"The teacher explained how to avoid a dangling participle when writing complex introductory clauses."
Word Nuance & Usage
In English grammar, do not confuse a present participle (e.g., 'running' in 'the running water') with a gerund (e.g., 'running' in 'Running is good exercise'); although both end in '-ing', a participle functions as an adjective or part of a verb tense, whereas a gerund functions as a noun.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'participle', from Latin 'participium' ('a sharing, partaking'), a grammatical loan translation of Ancient Greek 'metokhē', so named because the word class 'partakes' of the properties of both a verb and an adjective.