Definition: predicate

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

predicate
     adj : (grammar) of adjectives; relating to or occurring within the
           predicate of a sentence; "`red' is a predicative
           adjective in `the apple is red'" [syn: predicative]
           [ant: attributive]
     n 1: (logic) what is predicated of the subject of a proposition;
          the second term in a proposition is predicated of the
          first term by means of the copula; "`Socrates is a man'
          predicates manhood of Socrates"
     2: (linguistics) one of the two main constituents of a
        sentence; the predicate contains the verb and its
        complements [syn: verb phrase]
     v 1: make the (grammatical) predicate in a proposition; "The
          predicate 'dog' is predicated of the subject 'Fido' in
          the sentence 'Fido is a dog'"
     2: affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of; "The speech
        predicated the fitness of the candidate to be President"
        [syn: proclaim]
     3: involve as a necessary condition of consequence; as in
        logic; "solving the problem is predicated on understanding
        it well" [syn: connote]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Predicate \Pred"i*cate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Predicated; p.
   pr. & vb. n. Predicating.] [L. praedicatus, p. p. of
   praedicare to cry in public, to proclaim. See Preach.]
   1. To assert to belong to something; to affirm (one thing of
      another); as, to predicate whiteness of snow.

   2. To found; to base. [U.S.]

   Note: Predicate is sometimes used in the United States for
         found or base; as, to predicate an argument on certain
         principles; to predicate a statement on information
         received. Predicate is a term in logic, and used only
         in a single case, namely, when we affirm one thing of
         another. ``Similitude is not predicated of essences or
         substances, but of figures and qualities only.''
         --Cudworth.
Predicate \Pred"i*cate\, v. i.
   To affirm something of another thing; to make an affirmation.
   --Sir M. Hale.
Predicate \Pred"i*cate\, n. [L. praedicatum, neut. of
   praedicatus, p. p. praedicare: cf. F. pr['e]dicat. See
   Predicate, v. t.]
   1. (Logic) That which is affirmed or denied of the subject.
      In these propositions, ``Paper is white,'' ``Ink is not
      white,'' whiteness is the predicate affirmed of paper and
      denied of ink.

   2. (Gram.) The word or words in a proposition which express
      what is affirmed of the subject.

   Syn: Affirmation; declaration.
Predicate \Pred"i*cate\, a. [L. praedicatus, p. p.]
   Predicated.