verb phrase: Meaning and Definition of

verb' phrase"

Pronunciation: [key]
— Gram. Gram.
  1. a group of words including a verb and its complements, objects, or other modifiers that functions syntactically as a verb. In English a verb phrase combines with a noun or noun phrase acting as subject to form a simple sentence.
  2. a phrase consisting of a main verb and any auxiliaries but not including modifiers, objects, or complements.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.