ok... I know there is a technical term when nouns are used as verbs...

the example I gave in the WHERE Do Babies come from thread...

where I work as a Nanny (noun) Part time
and Nick (not real name) is a boy that I Nanny (being more formal an arrangement than babysit)

I do know of other examples, but am looking for the grammatical term ...

it also happens when verbs are reworked into nouns:
such as giving love...
brush (to brush or a brush, but im not sure about this)
the experiment/ to experiment...

does anyone know the technical term

Um, gerunds?

Got a vague idea that's it, but I wouldn't bet on it.

PJ

Gerunds are verbs used as nouns, like: Flying is my favourite pastime.

I don't know what the term for nouns used as verbs, if there is one.

I'm pretty sure a signed up member of the grammar patrol will be along soon to fill in the bits I don't know

Helga

I know we have talked about it in linguistics. This is what I can recall right now:

There are nouns and verbs that look exactly alike. For example:
brush (noun) / to brush
wish / to wish
surprise / to surprise...

In some cases, the original word was the noun, in others it was the verb. Which one can be determined (in most cases), but I don't remember exactly how. What I do remember is that it had to do with stress patterns.

I can't recall any name these words might have. In fact, I believe that they don't have a separate name.

Haha... Well, I consider myself a member of the 'grammar patrol' (ask some of the folks I've done beta for), but I'm absolutely clueless.

thaks grammer kings...

that word (Gerund) slipped my mind

A gerund in a verb used as a noun.

I don't think a noun used as a verb really has a special name though.

In fact, "nanny" could be the noun, and "to nanny" is probably the verb. Either that or, "to babysit," "to watch," or "to be the nanny of."

In some circles it's called anthimeria -- substitution of one part of speech for another (such as a noun used as a verb).

Another example is "The group of teenagers fellowshipped after their meeting.

And of course there's the ever-popular "Google," which has not only been turned into a verb, but has been genericized as well to become a descriptor of an entire sector. It's rather like Kleenex being used to describe all facial tissue or Band-Aid being used to describe all of those little flesh-colored bandages.

I think Marilyn has answered the question, but I'll clear up some other things.A gerund is, indeed, a verb used as a noun, but it must always end in "ing": "I enjoy running." An infinitive is also a verb form used as a noun and is usually, but not always, preceded by the word "to": "To run or walk, that is the question." In the latter case, walk is an infinitive without the "to". A participle is also a verb form used as an adjective: "Run down by a DUI, she was seriously injured."
The participle is often used incorrectly and "dangled": "Run down by a DUI, an ambulance took her to the hospital." As a group, verbs that are used as nouns are called verbals.

And that's the end of that lesson.