A.that which is said or spoken, word, saying, Archil.50, Thgn.1152, Simon.37.14,92 (where perh. it = ῥήτρα 11.2), Pi. (v. infr.), etc.; in Prose first in Hdt. (s.v.l.), ὁ νόος τοῦ ῥ. 7.162; τὰ λεγόμενά τινων [ῥήματα] 8.83; τοῦ Πιττακοῦ . . περιεφέρετο τοῦτο τὸ ῥ. Pl.Prt.343b; τὸ δόγμα τε καὶ ῥ. Id.R.464a; opp. ἔργματα, Pi.N.4.6; opp. ἔργον, Th.5.111; opp. τὸ ἀληθές, Pl.Phd.102b: prov., ῥήματα ἀντ᾽ ἀλφίτων 'fine words butter no parsnips', ap.Suid.; “ῥήματα πλέκων” Pi.N.4.94; ῥήματα θηρεύειν catch at one's words, And.1.9; ῥ. ἱπποβάμονα, ῥ. μυριάμφορον, Ar.Ra.821, Pax 521; ῥήματος ἐχόμενον depending on the word, Pl.Lg.656c; τῷ ῥ. τῷ τόδε προσχρώμενοι the word τόδε, Id.Ti.49e; τῷ ῥ. λέγειν, εἰπεῖν, say in so many words, Id.R. 340d, Grg.450e, cf. Tht.166d; κατὰ ῥῆμα ἀπαγγεῖλαι word for word, Aeschin.2.122.
2. phrase, opp. ὄνομα (a single word), Pl.Cra.399b, Aeschin.3.72; “λέγοντες ἐν μύθοις τε καὶ ἐν ῥήμασιν” Pl.Lg.840c.
b. verse, line, Ar.Ra.1379, cf. 97.
3. subject of speech, matter, Hebraism in LXX and NT, Ge.15.1, 22.1, De.2.7, Ev.Luc.1.37,65, 2.15; cf. ῥητός IV. 2.
II. Gramm., verb, opp. ὄνομα (noun), Pl. Sph.262a sq., Cra.425a, al., Arist.Po.1457a14, Diog.Bab.Stoic.3.213:— from the fact that a Verb usually forms the predicate (Arist.Int. 16b6), ῥῆμα is applied to an Adj. when used as a predicate, ib.16a13, 20b1.