A set phrase is an expression (i.e. term or phrase) whose parts are fixed. There might be other ways to express the idea of a set phrase in language, but it is marked to do so. Set phrases whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions and the arrangement of its parts are known as idioms.

Examples

• ceiling fan
• computer screen
• dinner table
• examining room
• front page
• human being
• lost opportunity
• only child
• plant room
• set phrase
• sewing room
• style manual

See also

• Cliché
• Collocation
• Idiom
• Phrasal verb
• Stock phrase

Linguistics