pentameter

[ pen-tam-i-ter ]

noun

1. a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet.
2. Also called elegiac pentameter. Classical Prosody. a verse consisting of two dactyls, one long syllable, two more dactyls, and another long syllable.
3. unrhymed verse of five iambic feet; heroic verse.

adjective

1. consisting of five metrical feet.

pentameter

/ pɛnˈtæmɪtə /

noun

1. a verse line consisting of five metrical feet
2. (in classical prosody) a verse line consisting of two dactyls, one stressed syllable, two dactyls, and a final stressed syllable

adjective

1. designating a verse line consisting of five metrical feet

Other Words From

• pen·tame·trist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pentameter¹

1540–50; < Latin pentametrus < Greek pentámetros. See penta-, meter ²

Example Sentences

The lovers speak entirely in iambic pentameter, which works much better than it should.

From The Daily Beast

The alternate hexameter and pentameter are, for most purposes, a more agreeable measure than the hexameter by itself.

From Project Gutenberg

If these verses were composed in good Latinity, the first word of the pentameter probably was justitiam.

From Project Gutenberg

The meter is iambic pentameter; but the first foot of the second line is a trochee, and emphasizes thoughts with fine effect.

From Project Gutenberg

It consists of nine verses, the first eight being iambic pentameter, and the ninth line iambic hexameter, or Alexandrine.

From Project Gutenberg

Unrhymed poetry, usually in iambic pentameter measure, is known as blank verse.

From Project Gutenberg