/ klɔːz; NAmE / noun
1.
( grammar ) a group of words that includes a subject and a verb, and forms a sentence or part of a sentence :
In the sentence 'They often go to Italy because they love the food', 'They often go to Italy' is the main clause and 'because they love the food' is a subordinate clause.
2.
an item in a legal document that says that a particular thing must or must not be done
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : via Old French clause , based on Latin claus- shut, closed, from the verb claudere .