- flow, movement, procedure, etc. characterized by basically regular recurrence of elements or features, as beat, or accent, in alternation with opposite or different elements or features: the rhythm of speech, dancing, the heartbeat, etc.
- such recurrence; pattern of flow or movement
- an effect of ordered movement in a work of art, literature, drama, etc. attained through patterns in the timing, spacing, repetition, accenting, etc. of the elements
- Biol. a periodic occurrence in living organisms of specific physiological changes, as the menstrual cycle, or a seasonal or daily variation in some activity, as sleep or feeding, in response to geophysical factors
- Music
- basically regular recurrence of grouped strong and weak beats, or heavily and lightly accented tones, in alternation; arrangement of successive tones, usually in measures, according to their relative accentuation and duration
- the form or pattern of this: waltz rhythm
- instruments on which the rhythm can be played; specif., rhythm section
- Prosody
- basically regular recurrence of grouped stressed and unstressed, long and short, or high-pitched and low-pitched syllables in alternation; arrangement of successive syllables, as in metrical units (feet) or cadences, according to their relative stress, quantity, or pitch
- the form or pattern of this: iambic rhythm
Origin of rhythm
from French or L: French rythme from Classical Latin rhythmus from Classical Greek rhythmos, measure, measured motion from base of rheein, to flow: see stream
