Definition of "gerund" [ger•und]

• In Latin, a noun derived from a verb and having all case forms except the nominative. (noun)
• In other languages, a verbal noun analogous to the Latin gerund, such as the English form ending in -ing when used as a noun, as in singing in We admired the choir's singing. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Where a gerund is a noun formed from a verb usually by adding ‘ing’ to the ending."
• "In the pre-intermediate grammar reference section, the term gerund is used unapologetically, and the student is advised “You can use a dictionary to check whether verbs are followed by an infinitive with to or a gerund” (p. 141)."
• "Remember that a gerund is a present participle of a verb (the - ing form) that is being treated like a noun:"