Final answer:
A gerund is an -ing verb that functions as a noun, and can be used as the subject of a sentence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gerund Phrase
The gerund is defined as any -ing verb that functions as a noun. In other words, you can place a gerund phrase in any place in the sentence where a noun could normally function. When the gerund verb has an attendant object or modifiers, we describe it as a gerund phrase.
Example:
Eating an apple a day can keep the doctor away.
In this sentence, the word "eating" (which is formally defined as a verb) functions nominally (as if it were a noun) because it is the subject of the sentence.