- principal parts
- ,principal `parts noun plural MAINLY BRITISHthe basic forms of an English verb, from which other verb forms are made, such as the INFINITIVE, PAST TENSE, and PAST PARTICIPLE
Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.
principal parts
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principal parts — n. the principal inflected forms of a verb, from which the other forms may be derived: in English, the principal parts are the infinitive, past tense, and past participle (Ex: drink, drank, drunk; go, went, gone): the present participle, derived… … English World dictionary
Principal parts — In language learning, the principal parts of a verb are those forms that a student must memorize in order to be able to conjugate the verb through all its forms.By languageEnglishIn English, the verb love derives all its forms systematically (… … Wikipedia
principal parts — noun plural : a series of verb forms from which all the other forms of a verb can be derived including in English the infinitive, the past tense, and the past participle (as play, played, played or sing, sang, sung) * * * noun [plural] grammar :… … Useful english dictionary
principal parts — noun (plural) technical the parts of a verb from which other parts are formed in English; the infinitive, past tense, present participle, past participle … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
principal parts — prin′cipal parts′ n. gram. a set of inflected forms of a verb from which all the other inflected forms can be derived, as sing, sang, sung or smoke, smoked: sometimes considered to include the present participle, as singing or smoking[/ex] •… … From formal English to slang
principal parts — noun plural Date: 1870 a series of verb forms from which all the other forms of a verb can be derived including in English the infinitive, the past tense, and the present and past participles … New Collegiate Dictionary
principal parts — Gram. a set of inflected forms of a form class from which all the other inflected forms can be derived, as sing, sang, sung; smoke, smoked. [1865 70] * * * … Universalium
principal parts — UK / US noun [plural] linguistics the basic forms of an English verb, from which other verb forms are made, such as the infinitive, past tense, and past participle … English dictionary
principal parts — /prɪnsəpəl ˈpats/ (say prinsuhpuhl pahts) plural noun a set of inflected forms of a verb from which all the other inflected forms can be inferred (theoretically, the smallest such set) as sing, sang, sung; smoke, smoked …
principal — adj. & n. adj. 1 (usu. attrib.) first in rank or importance; chief (the principal town of the district). 2 main, leading (a principal cause of my success). 3 (of money) constituting the original sum invested or lent. n. 1 a head, ruler, or… … Useful english dictionary
