ictus

American  

[ik-tuhs] / ˈɪk təs /

noun

plural

ictuses, ictus

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

Ut lubet feriat, abstergant hos ictus Democriti pharmacos.

From The Anatomy of Melancholy by Burton, Robert

Their pieces of battery had not only the execution but the thunder of our cannon also: "Ad ictus moenium cum terribili sonitu editos, pavor et trepidatio cepit."

From The Essays of Montaigne — Complete by Montaigne, Michel de

But these longs again are peculiar, and sometimes strike the European ear as shorts, thus adding a difficulty for those who would represent Oriental metres by western feet, ictus and accent.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 10 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

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 Cruttwell, Charles Thomas

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)