1. (n.) An expression peculiar to a given language or dialect\; the genius or cast of a language.

2. (n.) An expression conforming or appropriate to the peculiar structural form of a language; in extend use, an expression sanctioned by usage, having a sense peculiar to itself and not agreeing with the logical sense of its structural form; also, the phrase forms peculiar to a particular author.

3. (n.) Dialect; a variant form of a language.

Acadian Anglo-Indian Brooklynese Cajun Canadian French Cockney French Canadian Gullah Midland Midland dialect New England dialect Pennsylvania Dutch Yankee Yorkshire adjectival phrase argot bundle of isoglosses cant choice of words class dialect clause cliche composition construction dialect dialect dictionary diction expression formulation grammar headed group idiotism isogloss jargon language langue lingo lingua linguistic atlas linguistic community linguistic island local dialect localism locution manner of speaking noun phrase paragraph parlance parole patois peculiar expression period personal usage phrasal idiom phrase phraseology phrasing provincialism regional accent regionalism rhetoric sentence set phrase speech speech community standard phrase subdialect syntactic structure talk term tongue turn of expression turn of phrase usage use of words usus loquendi utterance verb complex verb phrase verbalism verbiage vernacular way of speaking word-group wordage wording