alexandrine
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.al·ex·an·drine
noun, often capitalized \-ˈzan-ˌdrēn, -drən, -ˌdrīn\Definition of ALEXANDRINE
: a line of verse of 12 syllables consisting regularly of 6 iambs with a caesura after the third iamb
— alexandrine adjective
Origin of ALEXANDRINE
French alexandrin, adjective, from Alexandre Alexander the Great; from its use in a poem on Alexander
First Known Use: 1667
Rhymes with ALEXANDRINE
alexandrine
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)Verse form that is the most popular measure in French poetry. It consists of a line of 12 syllables with a pause after the sixth syllable, major stresses on the sixth and the last syllable, and one secondary accent in each half line. It is a flexible form, adaptable to a wide range of subjects. It became the preeminent French verse form for dramatic and narrative poetry in the 17th century and reached its highest development in the tragedies of Pierre Corneille and Jean Racine.
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