hemistich

American  

[hem-i-stik] / ˈhɛm ɪˌstɪk /

noun

Prosody.

1. the exact or approximate half of a stich, or poetic verse or line, especially as divided by a caesura or the like.

2. an incomplete line, or a line of less than the usual length.

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hemistich British  

/ ˈhɛmɪˌstɪk /

noun

1. prosody a half line of verse

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Other Word Forms

• hemistichal adjective

Etymology

Origin of hemistich

1565–75; < Late Latin hēmistichium < Greek hēmistíchion a half-verse. See hemi-, stich ¹

Example Sentences

A hemistich seems to be missing here, metrically.

From Genesis A Translated from the Old English by Mason, Lawrence

The Luccan and Umbrian stornello is much shorter, consisting indeed of a hemistich having some natural object which suggests the motive of the little poem.

From The Browning Cyclop?dia A Guide to the Study of the Works of Robert Browning by Berdoe, Edward

The unstressed vowel at the hemistich, theoretically elided, is pronounced because of the natural pause intervening between the two parts of the verse.

From Frédéric Mistral Poet and Leader in Provence by Downer, Charles Alfred

Even from ancient times, the first hemistich of the verse has created great embarrassment to interpreters, from which very few of them, not excepting even Calvin, manage to extricate themselves skilfully.

From Christology of the Old Testament: And a Commentary on the Messianic Predictions. Vol. 2 by Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm

In the first hemistich we have to supply: will be His appearance in its loveliness and saving importance.

From Christology of the Old Testament: And a Commentary on the Messianic Predictions, Vol. 1 by Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm