1. (n.) A kind of verbal noun, having only the four oblique cases of the singular number, and governing cases like a participle.
2. (n.) A verbal noun ending in -e, preceded by to and usually denoting purpose or end; -- called also the dative infinitive; as, Ic haebbe mete to etanne (I have meat to eat.) In Modern English the name has been applied to verbal or participial nouns in -ing denoting a transitive action; e. g., by throwing a stone.
Thesaurus Entries
abstract noun, adherent noun, air, atom, atomic particles, axiom, brute matter, building block, center, chemical element, collective noun, common noun, component, constituent, core, earth, element, elementary particle, elementary unit, elixir, essence, essential, fire, flower, focus, fundamental, fundamental particle, gerund, gist, gravamen, heart, hyle, inner essence, kernel, marrow, material, material world, materiality, matter, meat, molecule, monad, natural world, nature, nominal, noun, noun phrase, nub, nucleus, nuts and bolts, physical world, pith, plenum, postulate, principle, pronoun, proper noun, quid, quiddity, quintessence, quotation noun, sap, soul, spirit, stuff, substance, substantive, substratum, the four elements, the nitty-gritty, unit of being, water
