empty word
noun
(especially in Chinese grammar) a word or morpheme that has no lexical meaning and that functions as a grammatical link or marker, rather than as a contentive.
Compare
full word,
function word.
Origin of empty word
First recorded in 1890–95
Words nearby empty word
empty morph,
empty nest,
empty nester,
empty set,
empty suit,
empty word,
empty-handed,
empty-headed,
empty-nest syndrome,
empty-nester,
empurple