enjambment

noun

en·​jamb·​ment in-ˈjam-mənt 

variants or less commonly enjambement

in-ˈjam-mənt 

äⁿ-zhäⁿb-ˈmäⁿ

: the running over of a sentence from one verse or couplet into another so that closely related words fall in different lines compare run-on

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Each enjambment creates a lively imbalance, nudging us into the next line. —Brad Leithauser, WSJ, 11 Feb. 2022

Her book works because her blank verse, with its seemingly unstudied enjambments, is supple yet pared down. —Dwight Garner, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2017

Word History

Etymology

French enjambement, from Middle French, encroachment, from enjamber to straddle, encroach on, from en- + jambe leg — more at jamb

First Known Use

circa 1839, in the meaning defined above