choriamb

A poet uses a choriamb in a verse about the sea.

Definition

1. Noun (Poetry):
   • A metrical foot consisting of four syllables, arranged as a trochee (long-short) followed by an iambus (short-long), i.e., a pattern of stressed, unstressed, unstressed, stressed (— ∪ ∪ —). It is used in classical Greek and Latin verse and occasionally in English poetry.

Usage Examples

• (A four-syllable foot with stress pattern long-short-short-long.)
• (This metrical foot was characteristic of choral sections.)

Advanced Usage

• Choriambic verse: poetry composed primarily of choriambic feet.

  • The choriambic meter lends a stately, solemn quality to the ode. (The specific pattern of stresses gives the poem a formal tone.)

• Choriambic dimeter: a line of verse consisting of two choriambic feet.

  • The chorus chanted in choriambic dimeter, each line repeating the — ∪ ∪ — pattern twice. (A line with two choriambi.)

Variants and Related Words

• Choriambic (adj): relating to or consisting of a choriamb.

  • The choriambic rhythm was difficult for the modern reader to scan. (The metrical pattern was complex.)

• Choriambus (n): the singular form of choriamb (less common).

  • Each line contained a single choriambus. (One four-syllable foot.)

Synonyms

• Iambotrochee (rare): a compound foot combining an iamb and a trochee.
• Double-foot (informal): a metrical unit of four syllables.

Related Idioms

• "To scan a choriamb": to analyze the metrical pattern of a choriambic foot.
  • The student struggled to scan a choriamb in the ancient text. (To identify the stress pattern of long-short-short-long.)

Notes for Learners

• The choriamb is rare in English verse because it does not naturally fit the stress patterns of English speech. It is more common in translations of classical poetry or in experimental metrical forms.