anacrusis Hear it!

anacrusis definition

ana·cru·sis (an′ə kro̵̅o̅′sis)

noun

  1. one or more additional, unaccented syllables at the beginning of a line of verse, preceding the regular meter
  2. Music upbeat

Etymology: ModL < Gr anakrousis < anakrouein, to push back < ana-, back + krouein, to strike: see rue

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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