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multi-word expression. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
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multi-word expression in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Noun
multi-word expression (plural multi-word expressions)
- (linguistics) A lexeme-like unit made up of a sequence of two or more words that has properties that are not predictable from the properties of the individual words or their normal mode of combination, such as an idiom ("pay the piper"), a phrasal noun ("steam iron"), a phrasal preposition ("in front of"), or a phrasal verb ("buy off").
Usage notes
- Often abbreviated as MWE.
Further reading