iamb Hear it!

iamb definition

iamb (ī′amb′, -am′)

noun

a metrical foot consisting, in Greek and Latin verse, of one short syllable followed by one long one, or, as in English verse, of one unaccented syllable followed by one accented one (Ex.: “Tŏ stríve, tŏ séek, tŏ fínd, ănd nót tŏ yíeld”)

Etymology: Fr iambe < L iambus < Gr iambos

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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