iamb

iamb
/uy"am, uy"amb/, n. Pros.
a foot of two syllables, a short followed by a long in quantitative meter, or an unstressed followed by a stressed in accentual meter, as in Come live / with me / and be / my love.
[1835-45; short for IAMBUS]

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      metrical foot consisting of one short syllable (as in classical verse) or one unstressed syllable (as in English verse) followed by one long or stressed syllable, as in the word ˘be|causé . Considered by the ancient Greeks to approximate the natural rhythm of speech, iambic metres were used extensively for dramatic dialogue, invective, satire, and fables. Also suited to the cadence of the English language, iambic rhythms, especially iambic tetrameter and pentameter, are the preeminent metres of English verse. Substitution of other types of feet to add variety is common in basically iambic verse. An example of iambic metre is the English ballad, composed of quatrains written in alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. For example:

 

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • iamb — IAMB, iambi, s.m. Picior de vers compus din două silabe, dintre care, în prozodia antică, prima este scurtă şi a doua lungă, iar în prozodia modernă, prima este neaccentuată, iar cea de a doua accentuată. – Din fr. iambe, lat. iambus. Trimis de… …   Dicționar Român

  • Iamb — I amb, n. [Cf. F. iambe. See {Lambus}.] An iambus or iambic. [R.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • iamb — (n.) 1842, from Fr. iambe (16c.), from L. iambus, from Gk. iambos (see IAMBIC (Cf. iambic)). Iambus itself was used in English in this sense in 1580s …   Etymology dictionary

  • iamb — [ī′amb΄, īam΄] n. [Fr iambe < L iambus < Gr iambos] 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 …   English World dictionary

  • Iamb — An iamb or iambus is a metrical foot used in various types of poetry. Originally the term referred to one of the feet of the quantitative meter of classical Greek prosody: a short syllable followed by a long syllable (as in i amb). This… …   Wikipedia

  • iamb — UK [ˈaɪæm] / US [ˈaɪˌæm] noun [countable] Word forms iamb : singular iamb plural iambuses literature a unit of rhythm in poetry, consisting of one short or weak beat followed by one long or strong beat, for example in the word mistake …   English dictionary

  • Iamb (band) — Iamb is a band from the Central Coast of California. While it began as a solo recording project by frontman Ross Major, Iamb now performs with various members as a band. The music can be described as a combination of indie, post rock, or folk… …   Wikipedia

  • iamb — or iambus noun (plural iambs or iambuses) Etymology: Latin iambus, from Greek iambos Date: 1586 a metrical foot consisting of one short syllable followed by one long syllable or of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable (as in… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • iamb — noun A metrical foot in verse consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable …   Wiktionary

  • iamb — s. m., pl. iambi …   Romanian orthography

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