caesura

cae·su·ra

noun \si-ˈzyu̇r-ə, -ˈzhu̇r-\

plural cae·suras or cae·su·rae\-ˈzyu̇r-(ˌ)ē, -ˈzhu̇r-\

Definition of CAESURA

1

in modern prosody : a usually rhetorical break in the flow of sound in the middle of a line of verse

2

Greek & Latin prosody : a break in the flow of sound in a verse caused by the ending of a word within a foot

3

: break, interruption

4

: a pause marking a rhythmic point of division in a melody

— cae·su·ral \-ˈzyu̇r-əl, -ˈzhu̇r-\ adjective

Origin of CAESURA

Late Latin, from Latin, act of cutting, from caedere to cut

First Known Use: 1556

Other Literature Terms

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

Rhymes with CAESURA

bravura, datura, Madura, tamboura, tempura