octosyllabic

adjective

oc·​to·​syl·​lab·​ic ˌäk-tə-sə-ˈla-bik How to pronounce octosyllabic (audio)
1
: consisting of eight syllables
2
: composed of verses of eight syllables
octosyllabic noun

Examples of octosyllabic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Written around 1200, the original poem was composed, like Old French romances, in octosyllabic rhymed couplets. Tom Shippey, WSJ, 24 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin octosyllabus, from Greek oktasyllabos, from okta- octa- + syllabē syllable

First Known Use

circa 1771, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of octosyllabic was circa 1771

Dictionary Entries Near octosyllabic

Cite this Entry

“Octosyllabic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/octosyllabic. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

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