a verse form of Italian origin, made up of tercets, the second line of each tercet rhyming with the first and third lines of the next one (aba, bcb, cdc, etc.)
See terza rima in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(tĕrˈtsə rēˈmə)
nounpl.ter·ze ri·me(tĕrˈtsĕ rēˈmĕ)
A verse form of Italian origin consisting of tercets of 10 or 11 syllables with the middle line rhyming with the first and third lines of the following tercet.