octosyllable

[ ok-tuh-sil-uh-buh l ]
/ ˈɒk təˌsɪl ə bəl /

noun

a word or line of verse of eight syllables.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of octosyllable

1765–75; part translation of Late Latin octōsyllabus; see octosyllabic, syllable

Words nearby octosyllable

octonary, octopod, octopus, octoroon, octosyllabic, octosyllable, octroi, octuple, octuplet, octuplicate, octyl alcohol
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for octosyllable

octosyllable
/ (ˈɒktəˌsɪləbəl) /

noun

a line of verse composed of eight syllables
a word of eight syllables

Derived forms of octosyllable

octosyllabic (ˌɒktəsɪˈlæbɪk), adjective
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