Which term is defined as 'Phrase with a meaning not deducible from words'?

• A. Idiom
• B. Metaphor
• C. Red Letter Day
• D. Congregate

Answer: (A)

An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal meanings of its individual words. In idioms, the whole phrase has a meaning that speakers of the language understand through usage, not from the words themselves. For example, “spill the beans” means to reveal a secret, and you wouldn’t guess that from the words alone. Similarly, “break a leg” is a wish for good luck, not a literal instruction about legs.

That’s why the term defined as “phrase with a meaning not deducible from words” is idiom. A metaphor, while also figurative, is a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison (like time is a thief) rather than a fixed, nonliteral phrase with a conventional meaning. And a word like “congregate” is simply a literal verb meaning to gather; “red letter day” is itself an idiomatic expression, but the general category that describes phrases whose meaning isn’t predictable from the words is idiom.