Main Entry:

clause

Pronunciation:

\ˈklȯz\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin clausa close of a rhetorical period, from Latin, feminine of clausus, past participle of claudere to close — more at close

Date:

13th century

1: a group of words containing a subject and predicate and functioning as a member of a complex or compound sentence2: a separate section of a discourse or writing ; specifically : a distinct article in a formal document