feminine ending

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noun

Prosody. an unaccented syllable at the close of a line of poetry, often one that is added to the metrical pattern as an extra syllable.

Grammar. a termination or final syllable marking a feminine word: In Latin -ā is a feminine ending for the ablative case in the singular.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of feminine ending

First recorded in 1890–95

Words nearby feminine ending

femicide, feminacy, femineity, feminine, feminine caesura, feminine ending, feminine of center, feminine rhyme, femininity, feminism, feminist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use feminine ending in a sentence

One controversial solution is to add a “gender star” or asterisk between the word and the added feminine ending.
The Gender Revolution|Daniel Malloy|March 21, 2021|Ozy
Another feminine ending among the Anglo-Saxons was gith, which, as elsewhere noted, I have supposed to mean woman or goddess.
Surnames as a Science|Robert Ferguson
In the second stanza we have the same measure with feminine ending.
English Verse|Raymond MacDonald Alden, Ph.D.
On this account some speak of three accents in the first half line, with a feminine ending.
The Nibelungenlied|Unknown

A simple check-mark in the sixth or seventh column indicates respectively a case of enjambement or of feminine ending.
English Verse|Raymond MacDonald Alden, Ph.D.
When preceded by the feminine word pars, the feminine ending is used (antica).
Variation in the Muscles and Nerves of the Leg in|E. Bruce Holmes

British Dictionary definitions for feminine ending

feminine ending

noun

prosody an unstressed syllable at the end of a line of verse

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