paeon

American  

[pee-uhn, -on] / ˈpi ən, -ɒn /

noun

1. Classical Prosody. a foot of one long and three short syllables in any order.

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paeon British  

/ ˈpiːən /

noun

1. prosody a metrical foot of four syllables, with one long one and three short ones in any order

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Other Word Forms

• paeonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of paeon

1595–1605; < Latin paeōn < Greek paiōn, Attic variant of paiā́n; see paean

Example Sentences

And then the movie – like all the great John Hughes movies, a paeon to the ambiguities of youth; the pleasures, the agonisies, the clothes, oh sweet Jesus the clothes.

From The Guardian • May 29, 2014

Instead it is a heart-wringing paeon to homesickness.

From The Guardian • May 30, 2010

Suddenly organ and choir burst into a paeon.

From Fanny Herself by Ferber, Edna

He, therefore, who recommended the paeon, as having the long syllable last, was certainly guilty of an oversight; because the quantity of the last syllable is never regarded.

From Cicero's Brutus or History of Famous Orators; also His Orator, or Accomplished Speaker. by Jones, E.

The iambic, then, should be the leading number in those subjects which require a plain and simple style;—the paeon in such as require more compass and elevation; and the dactyl is equally applicable to both.

From Cicero's Brutus or History of Famous Orators; also His Orator, or Accomplished Speaker. by Jones, E.