catalectic
pronunciation
How to pronounce catalectic in British English:
UK [ˌkætə'lektɪk]
How to pronounce catalectic in American English:
US [ˌkætə'lektɪk]
-
- Adjective:
- (verse) metrically incomplete; especially lacking one or more syllables in the final metrical foot
Word Origin
- catalectic (adj.)
- 1580s, in a line of verse, "wanting an unaccented syllable in the last foot," from Late Latin catalecticus, from Greek katalektikos "leaving off," from kata- "down" (see cata-) + legein "to leave off, cease from," from PIE *(s)leg- "to be slack, be languid" (see lax). A complete line is said to be acatalectic.