ictus

American  

[ik-tuhs] / ˈɪk təs /

noun

ictuses plural

1. Prosody. rhythmical or metrical stress.

2. Pathology.

   1. an epileptic seizure.

   2. a stroke, especially a cerebrovascular accident.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• ictal
  adjective
• ictic
  adjective

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

Crates Pergamenus in Hellesponto circa Parium, genus hominum fuisse tradit, quos Ophiogenes vocat serpentum ictus contactu leuare solitos, et manu imposita venena extrahere corpori.

From The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 Asia, Part II by Hakluyt, Richard

They must contain good mouth-filling words, with the vowels in the right place, and the rhythmic ictus at proper distances for chest and hand to keep true time.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 02, No. 09, July, 1858 by Various

"The deil ye didna!—See, man, I got the word but this morning out of a memorial of Mr. Crossmyloof's—see, there it is, ictus clarissimus et perti—peritissimus—it's a' Latin, for it's printed in the Italian types."

From The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2 by Scott, Walter, Sir

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 Cruttwell, Charles Thomas

Havena I missed the chance to turn out as clarissimus an ictus, as auld Grunwiggin himself?—Whatfor dinna ye speak, Mr. Butler?

From The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2 by Scott, Walter, Sir