ictus

American  

[ik-tuhs] / ˈɪk təs /

noun

• ictuses,
  plural
• ictus
  plural

1. Prosody. rhythmical or metrical stress.

2. Pathology.

   1. an epileptic seizure.

   2. a stroke, especially a cerebrovascular accident.

---

ictus British  

/ ˈɪktəs /

noun

1. prosody metrical or rhythmic stress in verse feet, as contrasted with the stress accent on words

2. med a sudden attack or stroke

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ictal
  adjective
• ictic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ictus
  plural
• ictuses
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of ictus

1700–10; < Latin: stroke, thrust, equivalent to īc ( ere ) to strike with a weapon + -tus suffix of v. action

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ictus

Lúcius; by metrical accent the ictus or beat of the verse, which in the Greek rhythms implies a long quantity, but in the Saturnian measure has nothing to do with quantity.

From The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius by Charles Thomas Cruttwell

But the first two words, in which the ictus is at variance with both accent and quantity, show the loose character of the metre.

From The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius by Charles Thomas Cruttwell

The lengthening of a short vowel by the ictus occurs occasionally in his verses, but almost always in words where it was originally by nature long.

From The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius by Charles Thomas Cruttwell

The translator shows his good judgment when he retains the original strophe, the characteristic last half-verse with its four ictus included.

From On the Heights A Novel by Berthold Auerbach

Humida vallis raros patitur fulminis ictus, More rest enjoys the subject meanly bred Than he that bears the kingdom in his head.

From Sir Thomas More by Shakespeare (spurious and doubtful works)

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---