amphibrach

[am-fuh-brak]

noun Prosody.

a trisyllabic foot, the arrangement of the syllables of which is short, long, short in quantitative meter, or unstressed, stressed, unstressed in accentual meter. Thus, together is an accentual amphibrach.

Origin of amphibrach

1580–90; < Latin amphibrachus < Greek amphíbrachys short before and after (amphi- amphi- + brachýs short); cf. amphimacer

Related formsam·phi·brach·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for amphibrach

Historical Examples of amphibrach

Similarly, such a word as alighted, in which a strong syllable is situated between two weak ones, may be called an 'amphibrach.'
Chaucer's Works, Volume 6 (of 7) -- Introduction, Glossary, and Indexes
Geoffrey Chaucer
The amphibrach plays a highly important part in English verse, though it is usual not to mention it at all.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 6 (of 7) -- Introduction, Glossary, and Indexes
Geoffrey Chaucer
Similarly, the symbol means a trochee; and the symbol means an amphibrach.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 6 (of 7) -- Introduction, Glossary, and Indexes
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Amphibrach is a foot of three syllables, the first and third short, and the second long.
Dissertation on the English Language
Noah Webster, Jr.
But these lines are of the high burlesque kind, and in this stile the Amphibrach closes lines with great beauty.
Dissertation on the English Language
Noah Webster, Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for amphibrach

amphibrach

noun

prosody a metrical foot consisting of a long syllable between two short syllables (◡ – ◡)Compare cretic

Derived Formsamphibrachic, adjective

Word Origin for amphibrach

C16: from Latin, from Greek amphibrakhus, literally: both ends being short, from amphi- + brakhus short

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for amphibrach

1580s, from Latin amphibrachus, from Greek amphibrakhys, a foot consisting of a long syllable between two short, literally "short at both ends," from amphi- "on both sides" (see amphi-) + brakhys "short" (see brief (adj.)).