Clause

Clause

noun.

from Latin clausa for "conclusion", as in "closing, or end of a sentence or legal argument

1. Contract:

A portion of an agreement, treaty or contract

2. Grammar

A part of a larger sentence that contains a subject and a verb. An Independent clause could be a sentence by itself (because it makes a complete thought), whereas a Dependent clause could not be a sentence by itself (because it does not make a complete thought).

For grammatical use of "clause," see: Clause (grammar)