prosody

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noun pros·o·dy \ˈprä-sə-dē, -zə-\

: the rhythm and pattern of sounds of poetry and language

plural pros·o·dies

Full 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

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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