WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Ger"und
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [L. gerundium, fr. gerere to bear, carry, perform. See Gest a deed, Jest.] (Lat. Gram.)
Definition : 1. A kind of verbal noun, having only the four oblique cases of the singular number, and governing cases like a participle.

2. (AS. Gram.)

Defn: A verbal noun ending in -e, preceded by to and usually denoting purpose or end; -- called also the dative infinitive; as, "Ic h?bbe mete t? etanne" (I have meat to eat.) In Modern English the name has been applied to verbal or participal nouns in -ing denoting a transitive action; e. g., by throwing a stone.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913