clause

(grammar) an expression including a subject and predicate but not constituting a complete sentence

• main clause, independent clause — a clause in a complex sentence that can stand alone as a complete sentence
• subordinate clause, dependent clause — a clause in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and that functions within the sentence as a noun or adjective or adverb
• relative clause — a clause introduced by a relative pronoun

• construction, grammatical construction, expression — a group of words that form a constituent of a sentence and are considered as a single unit

• sentence — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language