spondaic

American  

[spon-day-ik] / spɒnˈdeɪ ɪk /

Sometimes spondaical

adjective

Prosody.

1. of or relating to a spondee.

2. noting or constituting a spondee.

3. consisting of spondees; characterized by a spondee or spondees.

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spondaic British  

/ spɒnˈdeɪɪk /

adjective

1. prosody of, relating to, or consisting of spondees

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Etymology

Origin of spondaic

1715–25; < Late Latin spondaicus, metathetic variant of spondīacus < Greek spondeiakós, equivalent to spondeî ( os ) spondee + -akos, variant of -ikos -ic

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spondaic

The spondaic line, rarely used by Ovid, almost discarded by Lucan, but which reappears in Statius, is sparingly employed by Valerius.

From The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius by Charles Thomas Cruttwell

In the kitchen Vessons, very spondaic, was singing 'The Three Jolly Huntsmen.'

From Gone to Earth by Mary Gladys Meredith Webb

If a line ends with two spondees it is a spondaic hexameter.

From Critical and Historical Essays Lectures delivered at Columbia University by W. J. (Winton James) Baltzell

But in both cases I preferred to lock up by the massy spondaic variety; yet never forgetting to premise a dancing dactyle—'many a'—and 'pinion of.'

From The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. 1 by Alexander H. (Alexander Hay) Japp

The result so far attained has been unsatisfactory, for the rhythms are all given as spondaic.

From Critical and Historical Essays Lectures delivered at Columbia University by W. J. (Winton James) Baltzell

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