gerund
noun
°A verbal form that functions as a verbal noun. (In English, a gerund has the same spelling as a present participle, but functions differently.).
"In the phrase ‘Walking is good exercise.’, walking is a gerund."
°In some languages such as Italian or Russian, a verbal form similar to a present participle, but functioning as an adverb. These words are sometimes referred to as conjunctive participles.
"In the Russian 'Нельзя переходить улицу читая газету.’ (One shouldn’t cross a street while reading a newspaper.), читая ‘while reading’ is a gerund."