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 sentence
2 : a separate section of a discourse or writing; specifically : a distinct article in a formal document