penult
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of penult
1530–40; < Latin paenultima ( syllaba ), contraction of paene ultima almost the last; see pen-, ultima
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Occasionally, an Indian name came to his lips, hesitant syllables cascaded to a tenebrous penult: Rabindranath Tagore.
From Time Magazine Archive
Some Verbs suffer a syncope in the penult syllable, and are commonly used in their contracted form; as, Imper.
From Elements of Gaelic Grammar by Stewart, Alexander
According to Meyer-L�bke in place-names the penult was accented if the vowel was long, otherwise the stress lay on the preceding syllable, e.g.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 "Cat" to "Celt" by Various
If the penult is short, the antepenult is accented provided it be long: Sansthā́naka.
From The Little Clay Cart Mrcchakatika by Ryder, Arthur William
Words ending in ic usually accent the penult, scientif′ic, histor′ic, etc.
From The Art Of Writing & Speaking The English Language Word-Study and Composition & Rhetoric by Cody, Sherwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
