prosody

pros·o·dy

noun \ˈprä-sə-dē, -zə-\

plural pros·o·dies

Definition of PROSODY

1

: the study of versification; especially : the systematic study of metrical structure

2

: a particular system, theory, or style of versification

3

: the rhythmic and intonational aspect of language

— pros·o·dist \-dist\ noun

Origin of PROSODY

Middle English, from Latin prosodia accent of a syllable, from Greek prosōidia song sung to instrumental music, accent, from pros in addition to + ōidē song — more at pros-, ode

First Known Use: 15th century

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy