anapaest
noun/ˈænəpiːst/, /ˈænəpest/
/ˈænəpest/
(British English) (North American English anapest
(specialist)/ˈænəpest/
/ˈænəpest/
)- a unit of sound in poetry consisting of two weak or short syllables followed by one strong or long syllableTopics Literature and writingc2Word Originlate 16th cent.: via Latin from Greek anapaistos ‘reversed’, from ana- ‘back’ + paiein ‘strike’ (because it is the reverse of a dactyl, a type of metrical foot with one stressed or long syllable, followed by two unstressed or short syllables).
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