gerund

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ger=und

CIDE DICTIONARY

gerund, n. [L. gerundium, fr. gerere to bear, carry, perform. See Gest a deed, Jest.].

•  A kind of verbal noun, having only the four oblique cases of the singular number, and governing cases like a participle.  [1913 Webster]
•  A verbal noun ending in -e, preceded by to and usually denoting purpose or end; -- called also the dative infinitive; as, “Ic hæbbe mete tô 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.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

gerund, n. Gram. a form of a verb functioning as a noun, orig. in Latin ending in -ndum (declinable), in English ending in -ing and used distinctly as a part of a verb (e.g. do you mind my asking you?).

Etymology

LL gerundium f. gerundum var. of gerendum, the gerund of L gerere do