trochee

American  

[troh-kee] / ˈtroʊ ki /

noun

Prosody.

1. a foot of two syllables, a long followed by a short in quantitative meter, or a stressed followed by an unstressed in accentual meter.

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trochee British  

/ ˈtrəʊkiː /

noun

1. prosody a metrical foot of two syllables, the first long and the second short ( ) Compare iamb

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Etymology

Origin of trochee

1580–90; < Latin trochaeus < Greek ( poùs ), trochaîos running (foot), equivalent to troch- (variant stem of tréchein to run) + -aios adj. suffix

Explanation

In poetry, a rhythmic unit of two syllables in which the first syllable is stressed is known as a trochee. The song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" is composed of trochees. The word trochee goes back to the Greek phrase trokhaios pous, "a running foot," and this sense of motion and forward momentum translates to its literary meaning. A poem's meter — the number and type of metrical feet used in each line — determines its shape and rhythm. Since ancient times, writing that uses trochees has been thought of as more energetic and spirited than its opposite, iambic rhythm, although iambs are more common in English.

Example Sentences

Not that one needs to know an anapest from a trochee to enjoy the genre.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 6, 2023

Within its print-hung, paneled walls, smelling of old leather bindings and armchairs, the Grolier is a club of booklovers more interested in a richly tooled cover than in a succulent footnote or limpid trochee.

From Time Magazine Archive

A single stressed syllable, then a trochee, then a dactyl, for prosody nerds.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

The foot that consists of two syllables, the first of which is accented, is called a trochee.

From Elementary Guide to Literary Criticism by Painter, F. V. N. (Franklin Verzelius Newton)

The symbol for a trochee on page 134 is shown like this: —∪

From The Faust-Legend and Goethe's 'Faust' by Cotterill, H. B. (Henry Bernard)